"How comes it, M. le
Prevot--you are the Prevot, are you not?"
"Yes, M. le Comte."
"How comes it that so great a crowd is permitted to meet in the streets?
And that at my entrance, though I come unannounced, I find half of the
city gathered together?"
The Provost stared. "Respect, M. le Comte," he said, "for His Majesty's
letters, of which you are the bearer, no doubt induced some to come
together."
"Who said I brought letters?"
"Who--?"
"Who said I brought letters?" Count Hannibal repeated in a strenuous
voice. And he ground his chair half about and faced the astonished
magistrate. "Who said I brought letters?"
"Why, my lord," the Provost stammered, "it was everywhere yesterday--"
"Yesterday?"
"Last night, at latest--that letters were coming from the King."
"By my hand?"
"By your lordship's hand--whose name is so well known here," the
magistrate added, in the hope of clearing the great man's brow.
Count Hannibal laughed darkly. "My hand will be better known by-and-by,"
he said. "See you, sirrah, there is some practice here. What is this
cry of Montsoreau that I hear?"
"Your lordship knows that he is His Grace's lieutenant-governor in
Saumur."
"I know that, man. But is he here?"
"He was at Saumur yesterday, and 'twas rumoured three days back that he
was coming here to extirpate the Huguenots.
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