The king was markedly civil to Anne, talked to her for some time, expressed his deep regret that she should have been subject to such an outrage, while staying at his court, and said, in a tone loud enough to be heard by all standing round: "'The only redeeming point in the matter is, that the Vicomte de Tulle in no way troubled or molested you, and that you only saw him, for a few minutes, on the first day of your confinement.' "I need not say that this royal utterance was most valuable to my daughter, and that it at once silenced any malicious scandal that might otherwise have got about.
"The king stopped to speak to me, immediately afterwards, and I said: "'I trust that you will pardon the words I spoke this morning.
Your Majesty has rendered me and my daughter an inestimable service, by the speech that you have just made.' "Thus, although dissatisfied with the punishment inflicted on the Vicomte de Tulle, and believing that the king had a shrewd idea who her abductor was, I am grateful to him for shielding my daughter from ill tongues, by his marked kindness to her, and by declaring openly that de Tulle had not seen her, since the day of her abduction.

I intended to return home tomorrow, but the king himself, when I went this morning to pay my respects, and state my intention of taking Anne home, bade those standing round to fall back, and was good enough to say in a low voice to me: "'I think, Baron, that you would do well to reconsider your decision to leave tomorrow.

Your sudden departure would give rise to ill-natured talk.

It would be wiser to stay here, for a short time, till the gossip and wonder have passed away.' "I saw that His Majesty was right, and shall stay here for a short time longer.

It would certainly have a bad effect, were we to seem to run away and hide ourselves in the provinces." Mademoiselle de Pointdexter had retired when her father began to relate to Desmond what had happened.
"I know little of life in Paris, Monsieur le Baron," Desmond said, "but it certainly seems to me monstrous, that the man who committed this foul outrage should escape with what is, doubtless, but a short banishment from court." "I do not know that the matter is ended yet, Monsieur Kennedy.