"What does he say?" exclaimed the Officer, who caught a few words of their conversation as he got out of the carriage. "That we cannot stop here the night? Give him a cuff of the head, Joly, to teach him better manners to the Cardinal's guard. By Heavens! he shall find me horses to-night, or he shall lodge me till to-morrow!"
"Stay if you will, Sir Officer," rejoined the Miller, raising his voice--"but I tell you that you ought not to stay; and as for laying a finger on me--you know I serve the Cardinal as well as you, and you dare not!"
"Dare not!" cried the Officer, who was by this time mounting the stairs, catching the Miller by the collar, and striking him a slight blow--"You are a refractory rascal, Sir!--Open the door of your house, or I will throw you over the staircase.--Come, Monsieur de Blenau, follow me."
The Miller offered no resistance, but threw wide the door, and let the Officer pass in. De Blenau came next, having taken little notice of the altercation; but as he went by the Miller, who held the door open, he heard him mutter to himself in an under voice, "He shall pay for it with his blood," in a deep bitter tone of determined hatred, that made the Count turn round, expecting to see the ferocious countenance of an assassin. Nothing, however, could be more different from the appearance of the speaker, who was a smooth, pale-faced man, whose look expressed little besides peaceful tranquillity and patient resignation.
The room into which they entered was a large uncouth chamber, filled with various articles of household furniture, the unusual assemblage of which showed that it was used for most of the different purposes of life. There was a bed in one corner, with a large screen, or paravent, half drawn before it. Beside the fire hung a row of copper saucepans and cooking utensils; round about were several saddles, and other pieces of horse furniture; and in the centre was a large table, with two or three half-emptied bottles and some glasses, which bore marks of having been recently used; and at the same time a long bench was placed at one side of the table, with three single seats on the other.
On the opposite side of the apartment was a wooden partition, evidently new, which seemed to separate what had once been one large chamber into two, with a door of communication between them.