"Monsieur de Blenau," said the Judge, seating himself, "we will be frank with one another. You are very well aware how deeply you are implicated in this conspiracy; and I will tell you that we have ample proofs of every thing. But at the same time I know of a way by which you can save yourself; a way which one or two highly honourable men have embraced, having been misled at first by designing persons, but having returned to a sense of duty and honour, and confessed all they knew, together with the names of those they supposed to be amongst the guilty."
"I have no doubt, Sir," replied the Count, "that all and every thing you say is correct and right. But there is one point, on which I am in the dark. I am not aware of what conspiracy you mean.--I have, it is true, conspired----" Lafemas turned an attentive ear, and De Blenau perceived that the Greffier who had followed the Judge was making a note of all that passed. "Stop, gentlemen," said he, nodding to the officer; "take the whole of my sentence, I beg. You shall have it in plain language--I have, it is true, conspired on more than one occasion, with sundry of his Majesty's lieges, to kill a fat buck or a lusty boar, in various of the royal forests in this kingdom. But this is the only conspiracy of which I have been guilty; and for that I can plead his Majesty's free permission and pardon."
"All this is very good, Monsieur le Comte," said Lafemas, his brows darkening; "but I must tell you that it will not serve the purpose you propose. I came here to you as a friend--"
"And as a friend," interrupted De Blenau, "you brought with you that gentleman in black to take down my words, in case I should be at a loss to remember what I had said."
"I must once more tell you, Sir," said the Judge, "that this will not answer your purpose, for a full confession has been made by Monsieur de Cinq Mars since his condemnation."
"Since his condemnation!" exclaimed De Blenau. "Good God! is it possible that he is condemned?"
Lafemas was little capable of understanding any of those finer feelings which brighten the dull void of human existence. He read from the black page of his own mind, and fancied that every other was written in the same dark character. All that he saw in the exclamation of De Blenau was fear for himself, not feeling for his friend; and he replied, "Yes, Monsieur le Comte, he is condemned to lose his head for the crimes of which he has been guilty: the question also formed part of his sentence, but this he has avoided by making a full confession, in which, as you may easily suppose, your name is very fully comprised."