"Good morning, sir," said the lady, with a charming smile, "if I mistake not, I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Pembroke?"
"Yes, madam,--at you service," replied Tom.
"I am come on a strange errand, monsieur; as an ambassadress, so to say, of those whom I fear you take to be your enemies."
"You are frank, madam. I believe that I am speaking with--?"
"Madame de la Fontaine," the lady instantly supplied. "Events have so precipitated themselves, monsieur, that pretense and conventionality were an affectation. I am informed, you understand, of your brilliant rescue of Mademoiselle Eloise de Boisdhyver."
"If you mean Nancy Frost by Mademoiselle Eloise de Boisdhyver, madam, your information is correct. I gathered that you had been told of this, when I saw Captain Bonhomme make his way to the House on the Dunes this morning."
"Ah! What eyes, monsieur!" exclaimed the lady. "But I have grown accustomed to having my privacy examined over-curiously during the few days I have spent on your hospitable shores. _Mais pardon_--my purpose in coming to the Inn at the Red Oak this morning was but to request that my name be conveyed to Monsieur the Marquis de Boisdhyver."
"You mean, madam, that you wish to see the Marquis?"
"Yes, monsieur, if you will be so good as to allow me to do so."
"I am sorry," Tom rejoined, "that I must disappoint you. Circumstances over which the Marquis has no control will deprive him of the pleasure of seeing you this morning."
"Ah!" exclaimed Madame de la Fontaine, "I was right then. Monsieur le Marquis is, shall we say, in confinement?"
"As you please, madam; as safe, for the time, as is my friend Dan Frost."
"_Eh bien_, monsieur! It is that you have--do you not say?--turned the tables upon us?"
"And you will not permit me even a word--ever so little a word--with my poor friend?" murmured Madame de la Fontaine plaintively.
"Again I am sorry to refuse you, madam; but--not even a little word."
"So! _Mais oui_, I am not greatly surprised. I was assured last night...."
"When you did not see the signals?" suggested Tom quickly.
"When I did not see the signals," repeated the lady, with a glance of the briefest enquiry, "I was assured that something had befallen Monsieur le Marquis. _Mais vraiment_, monsieur, you do us much dishonour in assuming a wicked conspiracy on our parts. The Marquis is my friend; he is also the friend of the charming Mademoiselle. All that we wish, all that we would do is as much in her interest as in his own. But it is impossible that my old friend shall remain in confinement. On what condition, monsieur, will you release the Marquis de Boisdhyver?"