Now, however, as I have said, no other course was left me but to tell him
of it. Accordingly, I went within and inquired of Guilbert, whom I met in
the hall, where I might find the Chevalier. He answered me that M. de
Canaples was not in the ch?teau. It was believed that he had gone with M.
Louis, the intendant of the estates, to visit the vineyards at Montcroix.
The news made me choke with impatience. Already it was close upon five
o'clock, and in another hour the sun would set and the Angelus would toll
the knell of Mademoiselle's preposterous suspicions, unless in the meantime
I had speech with Canaples, and led him to employ a father's authority to
keep his daughter indoors.
Fuming at the contretemps I called for my horse and set out at a brisk trot
for Montcroix. But my ride was fruitless. The vineyard peasants had not
seen the Chevalier for over a week.
Now, 'twixt Montcroix and the ch?teau there lies a good league, and to make
matters worse, as I galloped furiously back to Canaples, an evil chance led
me to mistake the way and pursue a track that brought me out on the very
banks of the river, with a strong belt of trees screening the ch?teau from
sight, and defying me to repair my error by going straight ahead.
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