ned to try what I had often found successful in the case of
greater criminals; to squeeze him for a confession, while still excited
by his arrest, and before he had had time to consider what his chances
of support at the hands of his confederates might be. I charged him
therefore to tell the whole truth as he hoped for the King's mercy. He
heard me, gazing at me piteously; but his only answer, to my surprise,
was that he had nothing to confess. Nothing! nothing, as he hoped for
mercy.

"Come! come!" I replied. "This will avail you nothing. If you do not
speak quickly, and to the point, we shall find means to compel you. Who
counselled you to attempt his Majesty's life?"

He stared at me, at that, so stupidly, and cried out with so real an
appearance of horror, "How? I attempt the King's life? God forbid!" that
I doubted we had before us a more dangerous rascal than I had thought;
and I hastened to bring him to the point.

"What then--" I cried, frowning--"of the stuff Master La Riviere is to
give you? To take the King's life? To-morrow night? Oh, we know
something I assure you. Bethink you quickly, and find your tongue if you
would have an easy death."

I expected to see his self-control break down at this proof of our
knowledge. But he only stared at me with the same look of bewilderment,
and I was about to bid them bring in the informer that I might see the
two front to front, when the female prisoner who had hitherto stood
beside him, weeping in such distress and terror as were to be expected
in a woman of that class, suddenly stopped her tears and lamentations.
It occurred to me that she might make a better witness. I turned to her,
but when I would have questioned her, she broke on the instant into
hysterics, screaming and laughing in the wildest manner.

From that, I remember, I learned nothing, though it greatly annoyed me.
But there was one present who did, and that was the King. He laid his
hand on my shoulder, gripping it with a force, that I read as a command
to be silent. "Where," he said to the man, "do you keep the King and
Sully and The Duke, my friend?"

"The King and Sully--with his lordship's leave--" the man said quickly,
but with a frightened glance at me--"are in the kennels at the back of
the house; but it is not safe to go near them. The King is raving mad,
and--and the other dog is sickening, I fear. The Duke we had to kill a
month back. He brought the disease here, and I have had such loss