The tidings which had been brought him by the young Baron St.Laurent were sufficiently grave and perturbing to render sleep impossible, even if he had nothing to do.
In great astonishment the Marquis had questioned Major Lestoype closely and from him had received a frank and accurate version of the whole affair.

The Major would have died rather than betray a comrade, but in this instance the betrayal had already been effected and there was nothing whatever to be gained, from Marteau's point of view or from anybody's point of view, by an attempt at concealment.
The old Marquis had acted with dazzling promptitude.

His personal escort had consisted of a troop of loyalist cavalry from the King's household guard and it had not yet returned to Paris.

He could depend absolutely upon these men.

They had none of them been soldiers of the grand armies of the Emperor.