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“What，then，“Icried，frowning，“ofthestuffMasterlaRiviereistogiveyoutotaketheking’slifeto-morrownight？Oh，weknowsomething，Iassureyou；bethinkyouquickly，andfindyourtongueifyouwouldhaveaneasydeath。“
Iexpectedtoseehisself-controlbreakdownatthisproofofourknowledgeofhisdesign，butheonlystaredatmewiththesamelookofbewilderment。IwasabouttobidthembringintheinformerthatImightseethetwofronttofront，whenthefemaleprisoner，whohadhithertostoodbesidehercompanioninsuchdistressandterrorasmightbeexpectedinawomanofthatclass，suddenlystoppedhertearsandlamentations。Itoccurredtomethatshemightmakeabetterwitness。Iturnedtoher，butwhenI
wouldhavequestionedhershebrokeintoawildscreamofhystericallaughter。
FromthatIrememberthatIlearnednothing，thoughitgreatlyannoyedme。Buttherewasonepresentwhodid——theking。Helaidhishandonmyshoulder，grippingitwithaforcethatIreadasacommandtobesilent。
“Where，“hesaidtotheman，“doyoukeeptheKingandSullyandEpernon，myfriend？“
“TheKingandSully——withthelordship’sleave，“saidthemanquickly，withafrightenedglanceatme——“areinthekennelsatthebackofthehouse，butitisnotsafetogonearthem。TheKingisravingmad，and——andtheotherdogissickening。Epernonwehadtokillamonthback。Hebroughtthediseasehere，andIhavehadsuchlossesthroughhimashavenearlyruinedme，pleaseyourlordship。“
“Getup——getup，man！“criedtheking，andtearingoffhismaskhestampedupanddowntheroom，sotornbyparoxysmsoflaughterthathechokedhimselfwhenagainandagainheattemptedtospeak。
Itoonowsawthemistake，butIcouldnotatfirstseeitinthesamelight。CommandingmyselfaswellasIcould，IorderedoneoftheSwisstofetchintheinnkeeper，buttoadmitnooneelse。
Theknavefellonhiskneesassoonashesawme，hischeeksshakinglikeajelly。
“Mercy，mercy！“wasallhecouldsay。
“Youhavedaredtoplaywithme？“Iwhispered。
“Youbademejoke，“hesobbed，“youbademe。“
Iwasabouttosaythatitwouldbehislastjokeinthisworld——
formyangerwasfullyaroused——whenthekingintervened。
“Nay，“hesaid，layinghishandsoftlyonmyshoulder。“Ithasbeenthemostgloriousjest。Iwouldnothavemisseditforakingdom。Icommandyou，Sully，toforgivehim。“
Thereuponhismajestystrictlychargedthethreethattheyshouldnotonperiloftheirlivesmentionthecircumstancestoanyone。
Nortothebestofmybeliefdidtheydoso，beingsoshrewdlyscaredwhentheyrecognizedthekingthatIverilythinktheyneverafterwardssomuchasspokeoftheaffairtooneanother。MymasterfurthergavemeonhisownparthismostgraciouspromisethathewouldnotdisclosethemattereventoMadamedeVerneuilorthequeen，andupontheserepresentationsheinducedmefreelytoforgivetheinnkeeper。Soendedthisconspiracy，onthedivertingdetailsofwhichImayseemtohavedweltlongerthanIshould；butalas！intwenty-oneyearsofpowerIinvestigatedmany，andthisoneonlycanIregardwithsatisfaction。Therestweresomanywarningsandpredictionsofthefatewhich，despiteallmycareandfidelity，wasinstoreforthegreatandgoodmasterIserved。
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IwasagreatsolitarywhenIwasyoung。Imadeitmypridetokeepaloofandsufficeformyownentertainment；andImaysaythatIhadneitherfriendsnoracquaintancesuntilImetthatfriendwhobecamemywifeandthemotherofmychildren。WithonemanonlywasIonprivateterms；thiswasR。Northmour，Esquire，ofGradenEaster，inScotland。Wehadmetatcollege；andthoughtherewasnotmuchlikingbetweenus，norevenmuchintimacy，weweresonearlyofahumorthatwecouldassociatewitheasetoboth。
Misanthropes，webelievedourselvestobe；butIhavethoughtsincethatwewereonlysulkyfellows。Itwasscarcelyacompanionship，butacoexistenceinunsociability。Northmour’sexceptionalviolenceoftempermadeitnoeasyaffairforhimtokeepthepeacewithanyonebutme；andasherespectedmysilentways，andletmecomeandgoasIpleased，Icouldtoleratehispresencewithoutconcern。Ithinkwecalledeachotherfriends。
WhenNorthmourtookhisdegreeandIdecidedtoleavetheuniversitywithoutone，heinvitedmeonalongvisittoGradenEaster；anditwasthusthatIfirstbecameacquaintedwiththesceneofmyadventures。ThemansionhouseofGradenstoodinableakstretchofcountrysomethreemilesfromtheshoreoftheGermanOcean。
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