The count had thrown himself back on his seat, leaning his shoulders against the partition of the tent, and remained thus, his face buried in his hands, with heaving chest and restless limbs.
"You are suffering ?" asked Raoul.
"Cruelly." "Bodily, I suppose ?" "Yes; bodily." "This has indeed been a harassing day," continued the young man, his eyes fixed upon his friend.
"Yes; a night's rest will probably restore me." "Shall I leave you ?" "No; I wish to talk to you." "You shall not speak to me, Guiche, until you have first answered my questions." "Proceed then." "You will be frank with me ?" "I always am." "Can you imagine why Buckingham has been so violent ?" "I suspect." "Because he is in love with Madame, is it not ?" "One could almost swear to it, to observe him." "You are mistaken; there is nothing of the kind." "It is you who are mistaken, Raoul; I have read his distress in his eyes, in his every gesture and action the whole day." "You are a poet, my dear count, and find subjects for your muse everywhere." "I can perceive love clearly enough." "Where it does not exist ?" "Nay, where it does exist." "Do you not think you are deceiving yourself, Guiche ?" "I am convinced of what I say," said the count.
"Now, inform me, count," said Raoul, fixing a penetrating look upon him, "what happened to render you so clear-sighted." Guiche hesitated for a moment, and then answered, "Self-love, I suppose." "Self-love is a pedantic word, Guiche." "What do you mean ?" "I mean that, generally, you are less out of spirits than seems to be the case this evening." "I am fatigued." "Listen to me, Guiche; we have been campaigners together; we have been on horseback for eighteen hours at a time, and our horses dying from exhaustion, or hunger, have fallen beneath us, and yet we have laughed at our mishaps.

Believe me, it is not fatigue that saddens you to-night." "It is annoyance, then." "What annoyance ?" "That of this evening." "The mad conduct of the Duke of Buckingham, do you mean ?" "Of course; is it not vexations for us, the representatives of our sovereign master, to witness the devotion of an Englishman to our future mistress, the second lady in point of rank in the kingdom ?" "Yes, you are right; but I do not think any danger is to be apprehended from Buckingham." "No; still he is intrusive.

Did he not, on his arrival here, almost succeed in creating a disturbance between the English and ourselves; and, had it not been for you, for your admirable presence, for your singular decision of character, swords would have been drawn in the very streets of the town." "You observe, however, that he has changed his tactics." "Yes, certainly; but this is the very thing that amazes me so much.

You spoke to him in a low tone of voice, what did you say to him?
You think he loves her; you admit that such a passion does not give way readily.
He does not love her, then!" De Guiche pronounced the latter with so marked an expression that Raoul raised his head.

The noble character of the young man's countenance expressed a displeasure which could easily be read.
"What I said to him, count," replied Raoul, "I will repeat to you.
Listen to me.