Blake, gathering together his wits and his limbs at the same time, made shift to rise.
"What a plague does their relationship matter?" he began. He would have added more, but the Frenchman thought this question one that needed answering.
"Parbleu!" he swore, his amusement rising. "It seem to matter somet'ing."
"Damn me!" swore Blake, red in the face from pale that he had been. "Do you conceive that if I had run away with his wife for her own sake I had fetched her to you?" He lurched forward as he spoke, but kept his distance from Wilding, who stood between Ruth and him.
Feversham bowed sardonically. "You are a such flatterer, Sare Rowlan'," said he, laughter bubbling in his words.
Blake looked his scorn of this trivial Frenchman, who, upon scenting what appeared to be the comedy of an outraged husband overtaking the man who had carried off his wife, forgot the serious business, a part of which Sir Rowland had already imparted to him. Captain Wentworth--a time-serving gentleman--smiled with this French general of a British army that he might win the great man's favour.
"I have told your lordship," said Blake, froth on his lips, "that the twenty men I had from you, as well as Ensign Norris, are dead in Bridgwater, and that my plan to carry off King Monmouth has come to ruin, all because we were betrayed by this woman. It is now my further privilege to point out to your lordship the man to whom she sold us."
Feversham misliked Sir Rowland's arrogant tone, misliked his angry, scornful glance. His eyes narrowed, the laughter faded slowly from his face.
"Yes, yes, I remember," said he; "t'is lady, you have tole us, betray you. Ver' well. But you have not tole us who betray you to t'is lady." And he looked inquiringly at Blake.
The baronet's jaw dropped; his face lost some of its high colour. He was stunned by the question as the bird is stunned that flies headlong against a pane of glass. He had crashed into an obstruction so transparent that he had not seen it.
"So!" said Feversham, and he stroked the cleft of his chin. "Captain Wentwort', be so kind as to call t'e guard."
Wentworth moved to obey, but before he had gone round the table, Blake had looked behind him and espied Richard shrinking by the door.
"By heaven!" he cried, "I can more than answer your lordship's question."
Wentworth stopped, looking at Feversham.
"Voyons," said the General.
"I can place you in possession of the man who has wrought our ruin. He is there," and he pointed theatrically to Richard.