Santa Maria! what a shame to travel to-day! to depart on a Friday, the thirteenth of the month, and the day of Saint Gervais and of Saint-Protais--the day of two martyrs! I have been telling my beads all the morning for Monsieur de Cinq-Mars; and I could not help thinking of these things.

And my mistress thinks of them too, although she is a great lady; so you need not laugh!" With these words the young Italian glided like a bird across the large dining-room, and disappeared down a corridor, startled at seeing the great doors of the salon opened.
Grandchamp had hardly heard what she had said, and seemed to have been occupied only with the preparations for dinner; he fulfilled the important duties of major-domo, and cast severe looks at the domestics to see whether they were all at their posts, placing himself behind the chair of the eldest son of the house.

Then all the inhabitants of the mansion entered the salon.

Eleven persons seated themselves at table.
The Marechale came in last, giving her arm to a handsome old man, magnificently dressed, whom she placed upon her left hand.

She seated herself in a large gilded arm-chair at the middle of one side of the table, which was oblong in form.