give me
employment in the force that you are raising; but I am an officer of the
king, and what is of far greater importance at the present moment, an
aide-de-camp of the Viscount Turenne, your brother. Were it reported
that I was with your army, or even indeed that I was here, the cardinal
would at once conclude that I was representing the viscount, and was
perhaps the intermediary through whom communications between you
and your brother were being carried on. Therefore I should not only
compromise myself, which is of no importance, but I might excite
suspicion in Richelieu's mind against your brother, which might result
in his recall from the position in which he has so distinguished
himself, and grievously injure his prospects. The viscount himself
warned me against mixing myself with any party, saying that a soldier
should hold himself free from all entanglement, bent only on serving, to
the utmost of his power, the king and France."

"You are right," the duke said heartily. "Turenne has no grievances
against king or cardinal, and has acted wisely in holding himself aloof
from any party; and badly as I am affected towards Richelieu, I will
own that he has never allowed my brother's relationship towards me to
prevent his employing him in posts of honour. I have never sought to
influence him in the slightest, and am far too proud of the credit and
honour he has gained to do aught that would in any way cause a breach
between him and the cardinal. What you have said is very right and true.
Doubtless Richelieu has spies in this town, as he has elsewhere, and may
have learned that a young officer on my brother's staff was brought here
last autumn grievously wounded. But it is certainly well that now, as
the time for action is at hand, you should retire. You are not thinking,
I hope, of returning at once, for it was but a day or two ago that the
surgeon assured me that it would need another three or four months of
quiet before you would be fit to resume your duties."

"I feel that myself, my lord, and moreover I think that it would be as
well that I should not join the viscount at present, for it might well
be supposed that I was the bearer of some important news from you to
him; therefore I propose to go to Geneva, and remain there until I have
completely recruited my strength. In the Swiss republic I should pass
unnoticed, even by the cardinal's agents. And the fact that, although
being but a comparatively short distan