"I spoke with him but a few hours since.

This learned leech came in his company." "Holy Virgin! why told you not of his return to me ?" said the bishop, in evident perturbation.
"Did I not say that this same Knight of the Leopard had returned in company with the physician?
I thought I had," replied De Vaux carelessly.

"But what signified his return to the skill of the physician, or the cure of his Majesty ?" "Much, Sir Thomas--it signified much," said the bishop, clenching his hands, pressing his foot against the earth, and giving signs of impatience, as if in an involuntary manner.

"But where can he be gone now, this same knight?
God be with us--here may be some fatal errors!" "Yonder serf in the outer space," said De Vaux, not without wonder at the bishop's emotion, "can probably tell us whither his master has gone." The lad was summoned, and in a language nearly incomprehensible to them, gave them at length to understand that an officer had summoned his master to the royal tent some time before their arrival at that of his master.

The anxiety of the bishop appeared to rise to the highest, and became evident to De Vaux, though, neither an acute observer nor of a suspicious temper.