human
Nay, he replied.
gpt
Nay. No news. _Mon Dieu!_ I know not who could have stolen it. 'Tis marvellous. 'Twas none of D'Arpajou's troop, to be sure. And there were no others.
human
None lurking about the inn last night--none sleeping here who might have stolen into the girl's room when she quitted it? Oh! man, I tell you, he cried, almost beside himself with grief,
gpt
And then, overcome with remorse at having left the child in any other custody but his own, though he had thought it was for the best when he did so, he murmured:
human
Why, why, did I not keep it with me? My arm sheltered it when the attack was made at Aignay-le-Duc; no worse than that could have befallen it.
gpt
None lurking about, the man repeated, looking up at the great soldier while he chewed a straw.
human
None lurking about. _Mon Dieu!_ why did I not think of that before?
gpt
There _was_ one! St. Georges exclaimed,
human
No! No, it could not be he. It----
gpt
Could not be whom? Oh, do not torture me! Tell me! Tell me!
human
There was one, the other replied,
gpt
My God! St. Georges exclaimed, more to himself than the man.
human
Was it De Roquemaure?
gpt
De Roquemaure! the other exclaimed.
human
De Roquemaure! _Par hasard_, does monsieur mean the young marquis?
gpt
Yes, yes. You know him--must know him, since his mother's manoir is so near here. Answer me, and in his fervour he grasped the man's arm firmly,
human
Was it he? He! De Roquemaure? _Mon Dieu_, no! Not he, indeed!
gpt
You know him?
human
and he pointed to his face, on which was a long, discoloured stain or bruise,
gpt
Not De Roquemaure, St. Georges mused aloud.
human
Not De Roquemaure. Great God! have we more enemies than one? Into whose hands has my little babe fallen, then? And again he murmured to himself,
gpt
Not De Roquemaure!
human
No, not De Roquemaure, the man replied, overhearing him.
gpt
Nor one like him. Instead, a stranger to the town--a sour, dark-visaged man, elderly. None too well clad nor mounted either, and both he and his beast well spent as though with long travel.
human
Who could it be? St. Georges muttered.
gpt
Who?