Page:A courier of fortune (1904).djvu/186

170 left dependent only on his own wits and the Duke's favour; and what a shifting sand the latter was, he knew only too well.

But the Governor was scarcely less furious than Gabrielle herself, and never being inclined to blame himself laid the whole fault upon de Proballe.

Gabrielle's fierce resentment had shown the mistake of attacking Gerard in her presence; and the fact that he himself had given the orders only heightened his rage against de Proballe. He left the latter no reason to misunderstand his attitude.

"I am to be an outcast, it seems, because of this," said de Proballe, in as nonchalant an air as he could assume.

"When a man blunders as you have he has no cause to quarrel with the consequences," was the blunt reply.

"As for that, I am too old a hand to quarrel when the luck's against me. But what blunder do you mean?"

"Everything you have done."

"Umph! I might have expected it," exclaimed de Proballe, with a sharp glance at the Governor's angry face.

"It was your plan. Had I not listened to you, matters would have gone very differently. When you learnt that the man was another than this Gerard de Cobalt, you should have given me the information privately and have left me to act. But you must needs meddle in it your own way—and this is the result."

"Did I know you would bring Gabrielle down to listen to it all? The mischief is that the man was arrested before her eyes. All women are hysterical fools at such times. But at least it was not I who ordered your men to attack him."

"That is not true."

De Proballe's reply was a significant shrug of the shoulders.

"Do you mean to give me the lie, monsieur?" cried the Governor passionately.