Nevertheless, tired and worn out, I slept at last. When I awoke
the room was full of grey light, the door stood open, and Louis,
looking ashamed of himself, waited by my pallet with a cup of
wine in his hand, and some bread and fruit on a platter.
'Will Monsieur be good enough to rise?' he said. 'It is eight
o'clock.'
'Willingly,' I answered tartly. 'Now that the door is unlocked.'
He turned red. 'It was an oversight,' he stammered 'Clon is
accustomed to lock the door, and he did it inadvertently,
forgetting that there was anyone--'
'Inside,' I said drily.
'Precisely, Monsieur.'
'Ah!' I replied. 'Well, I do not think the oversight would
please Madame de Cocheforet if she heard of it?'
'If Monsieur would have the kindness not to--'
'Mention it, my good fellow?' answered, looking at him with
meaning as I rose. 'No. But it must not occur again.'
I saw that this man was not like Clon. He had the instincts of
the family servant, and freed from the influences of fear and
darkness felt ashamed of his conduct. While he arranged my
clothes, he looked round the room with an air of distaste, and
muttered once or twice that the furniture of the principal
chambers was packed away.
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