" 'Tis a lie! A vile calumny!" de Roubec broke out again.
"It is the truth!" snapped Roger. "And I thank God that seeing you again today enabled me to come on the scene in time to prevent Her Majesty from placing her faith in so treacherous a viper. I doubt not that you meant to ride to Paris and sell her letter for the highest price you could get for it from her enemies."
The Queen paled under her rouge, but her voice was firm as she addressed de Roubec. "Old as the charge is that is brought against you, Monsieur, it still calls for full investigation. If in due course 'tis proven, 'twas a most despicable act to so despoil a child, leaving him a prey to every ill that infests the gutters of our great cities; and for it I promise that you shall see the inside of a prison for longer than you have enjoyed your ill-gotten gains. But His Majesty is the best judge of all such matters and he shall hear the case. I am now about to return to the Chateau. 'Tis my will that you should follow behind my carriage."
She then turned to Roger, and asked:
"What is your name, Monsieur?"
"De Breuc, may it please Your Majesty," he replied with a bow. "Then you, too, Monsieur de Breuc, will follow us back to Fontainebleau. If your story proves false you will have cause to rue it, but if it is true you will not find me ungrateful for the service you have rendered me. In the meantime I charge you to say naught of the encounter to anyone."
Marie Antoinette had scarcely finished speaking when de Roubec's horse threw up its head with a whinny and began to prance again. Roger guessed immediately that this time the false Chevalier had spurred his mount with deliberate intent, and he sprang forward to catch the bridle. But he was a second too late. De Roubec swung the bay round and let it have its head. In an instant it was thundering away across the turf.
"Stop!" cried the Queen. "Stop! If you disobey me it will be at your peril !" But de Roubec only waved his left arm in a vague gesture, which might have signified that he had lost control of his animal, and galloped away down one of the rides.
With a swift movement the Queen thrust a little silver whistle between her lips and blew a high, piercing blast upon it.
Roger, meanwhile, had run to his mare and thrown himself into the saddle; but, even as he did so, he knew perfectly well that she had no chance of overtaking de Roubec's powerful bay. Nevertheless, he was just about to set spurs to her when the Queen motioned to him to desist, and said: "Remain here, Monsieur. I have better mounts than yours to send in pursuit of that rogue."
Her words gave Roger the clue to her use of the whistle. She must, he now guessed, have had an escort following her carriage at a distance. The next moment his guess was confirmed; as he dismounted from his horse, and the footman took it from him, two gentlemen came galloping into the clearing.
"Messieurs !" the Queen hailed them, pointing in the direction de Roubec had taken: "I pray you pursue and bring back to me the man in a coat of purple satin who has just disappeared down yonder ride."
As they dashed after the fugitive she turned back to Roger. For the first time since they had met her voice was gracious and she smiled, as she said:
"Monsieur de Breuc, the flight of him you accused is a sure sign of guilt. In my youth I was a passable horsewoman myself, although my preceptress, Madame de Noailles, would not allow me to ride as much as I wished from the absurd notion that it would make me fat. Yet I know enough of the art to be certain that the rascal incited his mount to bolt and even then could have checked it had he so wished."
Roger gave her smile for smile and seized upon the personal note. "I have heard it said that Your Majesty nicknamed that old lady Madame L'Etiquette; and that once when you had a fall from a donkey you declared laughingly to your companions that you would not rise from the ground until Madame de Noailles could be brought to demonstrate the correct procedure for assisting a Dauphine of France to her feet."
Marie Antoinette gave a little laugh, then the smile faded from her lips; but she regarded Roger kindly as she shook her head. "I know not where you heard the story, but in the main 'tis true, Monsieur; and it recalls memories of happier times than these. I was then but the carefree girl-wife of the heir to France, whereas I am now its Queen, with many troubles. By your knowing that man for a rogue today, and acting as you did, it seems that you have saved me from yet another matter for grievous worry. In what way can I reward you ?"
Taking his three-cornered hat from under his arm Roger swept it almost to the ground; then, drawing himself up, he replied: "This meeting with your gracious Majesty is in itself reward enough, and if I have been of some small service I count that an additional privilege. But if, Madame, your generosity prompts you to honour me further, then 'tis simply done."
"Tell me your wish, Monsieur."
"It is to have some further opportunity of distracting Your Majesty's mind for a little from these troubles of which you speak. You listened with sympathy and interest to my tale of being robbed and left near penniless in Le Havre as a boy. Since then I have travelled in England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Russia, and in those countries it has been my lot to meet with many adventures both grave and gay. I am of independent means and crave no pension; but if you would grant me the privilege of unobtrusive attendance at your Court, and send for me from time to time when affairs of State weigh heavily upon your mind, I believe that I could dispel your gloom and make you laugh again as I did just now by mentioning the episode of the donkey. And if I could do that I should count myself happy indeed."
"Oh, please, Madame!" The soft foreign voice came again from inside the carriage. "I pray you accede to his request. I am agog to know how he fared after he had been robbed of the jewels which were his only fortune."
The Queen half turned towards her lady-in-waiting as she said: "And so you shall, child." Then she smiled again at Roger, and added: "Monsieur, your request is truly a modest and unselfish one. I grant it willingly.
As Roger bowed his thanks he felt that he had every reason to congratulate himself, for his quick wits had enabled him to turn his stroke of luck to the best possible advantage. More, it seemed that Fortune had granted him yet another favour in his tale having caught the interest of the still barely glimpsed lady inside the carriage; so that not only had he secured the permission to present himself at Court, but had also secured an unknown ally who would remind the Queen about him, and ensure his being sent for in order to hear more of his story.
His only serious concern now was as to what lies he might be forced to tell if he meant to keep up the pretence of being a Frenchman, as he knew only too well that one lie had a horrid way of leading to another until one found oneself enmeshed in a highly dangerous net of falsehood. Loath as he was to disclose the fact that he was a foreigner, he was beginning to wonder if the game of continuing in his incognito would, in the long run, prove worth the candle.
After a brief silence the Queen remarked: "My gentlemen seem a long time in bringing back that rogue."
"He was exceptionally well mounted, Madame." Roger gave a little shrug. "And he had several minutes start. So I fear it might well be an hour before they succeed in riding him down."
"In that case, since the afternoon is fine, and it is pleasant here, let us sit for a little on the grass."
As the Queen stepped down on to the ground her footman sprang to life, and running round to the boot got from it some thick rugs which he spread out at the foot of the giant oak. While he was doing so the lady-in-waiting descended from the carriage and, seeing her mistress now remove her mask, followed suit.