For venturing one morning, when she was in a pleasant humour, to hint that she treated those beneath her too inhumanly, and with an unkindness as little becoming noble blood as familiarity, she asked me scornfully if I did not think she treated Simon Fleix well enough.

To which I had nothing to answer.
I might here remark on the system of secret intelligence by means of which M.de Rosny, even in this remote place, received news of all that was passing in France.

But it is common fame.

There was no coming or going of messengers, which would quickly have aroused suspicion in the neighbouring town, nor was it possible even for me to say exactly by what channels news came.

But come it did, and at all hours of the day.
In this way we heard of the danger of La Ganache and of the effort contemplated by the King of Navarre for its relief.