garding the sex must compel you to admit there is here something
more than clannishness can condone. It is true there is the political
element--but not much of it--in my quest, still--"

"Not a word of that, M. Montaiglon!" cried the Chamberlain: "there
you address yourself to his Grace's faithful servant; but I cannot be
denying some sympathy with the other half of your object. If I had
known this by-named Drimdarroch you look for, I might have swithered to
confess it, but as it is, I have never had the honour. I've seen scores
of dubious cattle round the walls of Ludo-vico Rex, but which might be
Drimdarroch and which might be decent honest men, I could not at this
time guess. We have here among us others who had a closer touch with
affairs in France than I."

"So?" said Count Victor. "Our friend the Baron of Doom suggested that
for that very reason my search was for the proverbial needle in the
haystack. I find myself in pressing need of a judicious friend at court,
I see. Have you ever found your resolution quit you--not an oozing
courage, I mean, but an indifference that comes purely by the lapse of
time and the distractions on the way to its execution? It is my case
at the moment. My thirst for the blood of this _inconnu_ has modified
considerably in the past few days. I begin to wish myself home again,
and might set out incontinent if the object of my coming here at all
had not been so well known to those I left behind. You would be doing
a brilliant service--and perhaps but little harm to Drimdarroch after
all--if you could arrange a meeting at the earliest."

He laughed as he said so.

"Man! I'm touched by the issue," said the Chamberlain; "I must cast
an eye about. Drimdarroch, of course, is Doom, or was, if a lawyer's
sheep-skins had not been more powerful nowadays than the sword;
but"--he paused a moment as if reluctant to give words to the
innuendo--"though Doom himself has been in France to some good purpose
in nis time, and though, for God knows what, he is no friend of mine, I
would be the first to proclaim him free of any suspicion."

"That, monsieur, goes without saying! I was stupid enough to
misunderstand some of his eccentricities myself, but have learned in our
brief acquaintanceship to respect in him the man of genuine heart."

"Just so, just so!" cried the Chamberlain, and cleared his throat. "I
but mentioned his name to make it plain that his claim to the old title
in no way implicated him