"If Monsieur de La Rivière bear you the Queen's commands, will you be satisfied, Sir Count?" demanded Richelieu.
"The Queen's Gentleman-usher," said De Blenau; "most assuredly; that will be sufficient."
"Go yourself, Chavigni," whispered Richelieu, "and as you come, tell him what to say.--We will wait his arrival," he proceeded aloud;--"but see, Monsieur de Chavigni, that he communicates with the Queen, and be fully informed of her wishes."
De Blenau smiled, convinced from his late information through Pauline that the Queen was still at Chantilly, and therefore that though La Rivière might be himself in Paris, and ready to swear any thing that the Cardinal dictated, he could have no communication with Anne of Austria, unless, what seemed improbable, she had returned to the capital with the King.
As soon as De Chavigni had retired for the purpose of seeking La Rivière, Richelieu ran his eye over some memoranda, as if about to put farther questions to De Blenau; but the King, not noticing these indications of his purpose, addressed the prisoner himself. "Well, Monsieur le Comte," said he, "while Chavigni is gone, there are two or three points on which I shall be glad to speak with you."
Richelieu was surprised, and not particularly delighted, thinking that the King was about to continue the examination himself, which might not be conducted precisely in such a manner as to produce the effect he wished; but, in the independent mood with which Louis was affected, he dared not, with all his daring, attempt to interrupt the course of his Sovereign's proceedings, and therefore remained silent, watching the opportunity of interposing, to give what turn he best could to the interrogatory that appeared about to commence. In the mean while De Blenau bowed his head, calmly prepared to bear the mental torture of a long cross-examination, where every word might be subject to dangerous misconstruction.
"I understand, Monsieur de Blenau," continued the King, while the whole Council listened with attentive expectation--"I understand that you have the best breed of boar-dogs in France. Pray are they of the Pomeranian or the Exul race?--and how can they be procured?"
Richelieu bit his lip; but to De Blenau the King's question was like the clearing away of a threatened storm; and habitually attached to the chase, as well as deeply learned in all its mysteries, he was delighted to find that Louis turned the conversation to a subject equally familiar to both.