Yet, with no more than a promise of reward at some future time should she succeed in escaping from us, did she bribe him to carry her letter to the Queen.
What happened to Berthaud that may not happen to Gilles ?" "You might change her sentry nightly," put in the Seneschal.
"Yes, if we knew whom we could trust; who would be above corruption.
As it is"-- she shrugged her shoulders "that would be but to afford her opportunities to bribe them one by one until they were all ready to act in concert." "Why need she any sentinel at all ?" asked Tressan, with some show of sense.
"To ward off possible traitors," she told him, and Marius smiled and wagged his head.
"Madame is never done foreseeing the worst, monsieur." "Which shows my wisdom.

The men in our garrison are mercenaries, all attached to us only because we pay them.

They all know who she is and what her wealth." "Pity you have not a man who is deaf and dumb," said Tressan, half in jest.

But Marius looked up suddenly, his eyes serious.
"We have as good," said he.

"There is the Italian knave Fortunio enrolled yesterday, as I have told you.