"
Rupert opened the latter from Diana d'Etamps; it was as follows:
"Adele has been ordered to marry the Duc de Carolan on the 15th.
Unless she consents, she is on the 14th to be sent to the nunnery
of Saint Marie, the strictest in France, where they will somehow or
other wring consent from her before many weeks are over. They have
done so in scores of cases like hers. I promised to tell you, and I
have done so. But I don't see that anything can be done. I hear
Monsieur le Marquis is badly wounded, but even were he here, he
could do nothing. The king is resolute. The Duc de Carolan has just
given 200,000 crowns towards the expenses of the war."
"May I see?" Louis d'Etamps said, for the young men were now fast
friends.
Rupert handed him the note.
"What can you do, my poor boy?" he said.
"I will go and see the marquis, and let you know afterwards,"
Rupert said. "I shall do something, you may be sure."
"If you do, you will want to escape from Lille. I will see about
the arrangements for that. There is no time to be lost. It is the
10th today."
Rupert's conversation with the Marquis de Pignerolles was long and
interesting. The marquis chafed at being confined to a sick bed and
permitting Rupert to run the risk, which was immense, of the
attempt alone. However, as he could not move, and as Rupert was
determined to do something, the marquis entered into all the plans
he had drawn up, and intended to follow when such an emergency
occurred.
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