‘True, true, and God is my witness that I have wished you all the ill in the world.’
He was using his favourite wile, a sound basic frankness, the avowal of his ill-intentions, in order to dissimulate the weapon he held in his hand.
‘But I would never have wished you this,’ he went on. ‘For you know that I am a good knight, and stand firm upon everything that touches one’s honour.’
‘What on earth is all this about? Speak, for goodness’ sake!’ cried Mahaut.
‘Your daughters, my cousins are convicted of adultery, and have been arrested on the order of the King, and Marguerite with them.’
Mahaut did not immediately react to the blow. She did not believe it.
‘Who told you this story?’
‘I know it of my own knowledge, Aunt, and the whole Court knows of it, too. This happened yesterday evening.’
From then on he enjoyed himself, teasing the fat woman, putting her in agony, telling her only as much of the business at a time as he wanted to, scrap by scrap, recounting how all Maubuisson had been startled by the King’s anger.
‘Have they confessed?’ asked Thierry d’Hirson.
‘I don’t know,’ Robert replied. ‘But doubtless the young Aunays are at this moment confessing on their behalf at the hands of your friend Nogaret.’
‘I don’t like Nogaret,’ said Mahaut. ‘Even if they were innocent they’d come out of the affair blacker than pitch, if he’s involved.’
‘Aunt,’ Robert went on, ‘I have ridden the thirty miles from Pontoise to Paris through the night in order to warn you, for no one else had thought of doing so. Do you still think that it’s ill-will that brings me here?’
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