I heard only the other day that he was in France." "Of course, of course, he is in France! Not in England at all! Good, good! I see you are to be trusted.

But I must have your word of honor that the letter will be delivered." "I shall send it by none but a trusted messenger," I answered, "and shall return it to you unopened unless I am convinced beyond a doubt that it will reach our friend." "Good, good! Come to my hotel.

I will trust you." We went to De Grammont's house, and after taking great precautions against discovery, he gave me a small wooden box wound with yards of tape and sealed with quantities of wax.

I put the box in my pocket, saying:-- "I accept the trust on my honor, dear count, and though the package bears no name nor address, I shall deliver it to the person for whom it is intended." De Grammont said he knew nothing of the contents of the box except that it contained a message for a friend, and I believed him.
When I left his house he came to the door with me, murmuring: "My gratitude! My gratitude! Also the gratitude of my king, which I hope may prove of far greater value to your friend than my poor offering of words." I lost no time in seeking George, except to make sure that I was not followed.

I trusted De Grammont and felt sure that the box he had given me contained a personal communication from no less a person than Louis XIV of France, but I wanted to take no risk of betraying Hamilton by leading De Grammont or any one else to his hiding-place.
Since Frances's providential escape, the king had suspected the right persons of her rescue.