La Dame de Monsoreau (54 page)

" Count! Count! " said the duke, intoxicated, in spite of himself, by the charms of this magic picture.

" You pardon me, do you not, monseigneur ? "

At this moment the prince raised his eyes and they met Bussy's portrait, framed in gilt leather, on the wall. He liked to look at it sometimes, just as he had of yore liked to look on the portrait of La Mole. There was such a haughty expression in the look, such loftiness in the mien, and the hand rested on the hip in an attitude of such superb grace that the duke almost fancied it was Bussy himself with his flashing eyes — Bussy ready to step forth from the wall and bid him have courage.

" No," said he, " I cannot pardon you. If I am obdurate, God is my witness that it is not on account of myself ; it is because a father in mourning — a father shamefully deceived — cries out for his daughter ; it is because a woman, forced to marry you, invokes vengeance on your head ; it is, in a word, because the first duty of a prince is justice."

" Monseigneur ! "

" Yes, I tell you, the first duty of a prince is justice, and I must do justice ! "

" If justice be the first duty of a prince," said Monsoreau, " gratitude is the first duty of a king."

" What is that you say ? "

" I say a king ought never to forget the man to whom he owes his crown — now, monseigneur "

« Well ? "

" You owe me your crown, sire ! "

" Monsoreau ! " cried the duke, more terrified now than ever when the grand huntsman first uttered his warning menace. " Monsoreau ! " he repeated, in a low and trembling voice, " are you a traitor to the king as you were to the prince ? "

" I am loyal to him who is loyal to me, sire," answered Monsoreau in tones that grew louder and louder.

« Wretch ! "

And the duke again looked at the portrait of Bussy.

" I cannot! " said he. " You are a loyal gentleman, Monsoreau ; you must understand I cannot approve of what you have done."

" Why so, monseigneur ? "

" Because it was an act unworthy of you and of me —renounce this woman — ah ! my dear count, another sacrifice — rest assured that, to reward you for it, there is nothing you can ask which I will not grant."

" Then your highness is still in love with Diane de Meri-dor ? " aske"d Monsoreau, livid with jealousy.

" No ! No ! I swear I am not! "

" Then who is it has attempted to influence your highness ? She is my wife; am I not a well-born gentleman ? Can any one have dared to interfere in my private affairs ? "

" But she does not love you."

" What affair is that of any one ? "

"Do this for my sake, Monsoreau."

" I cannot."

" Then " — said the duke, in a state of the most horrible perplexity — " then "

" Reflect, sire."

The prince wiped off from his forehead the perspiration brought there by the title the count had just uttered.

" You would denounce me ? "

" To the King you dethroned ? Yes, your Majesty ; for if my new sovereign injured me in my honor or happiness, I would go back to the old one."

" It is infamous ! "

" It is true, sire ; but I am enough in love to descend to infamy even."

" It is base ! "

" Yes, your majesty ; but I am enough in love to descend to baseness."

The duke made a movement toward Monsoreau. But the latter, with a single look, a single smile, brought him to a standstill.

" You would gain nothing by killing me, monseigneur," he said, " there are certain secrets which float above the corpse ! Let us remain as we are, you the most clement of kings, I the humblest of your subjects !"

The duke clasped his hands and tore them with his fingernails.

" Come, come, my gracious lord, do something for the man who has served you so well in everything."

Francois rose.

" What do you want ? " said he.

" I want your majesty to "

" Oh ! wretched man ! must I then entreat you not to " —

" Oh ! monseigneur ! "

And Monsoreau bowed.

" Speak," murmured Franqois.

" You pardon me, monseigneur ? "

« Yes."

" You will reconcile 2ne with M. de Meridor, monseigneur ? "

« Yes."

" You will sign my marriage contract with Mademoiselle de Meridor, monseigneur ? "

" Yes," answered the duke, in a stifled voice.

" And you will honor my wife with a smile on the day when she, appears formally in the circle of the Queen, to whom I wish to have the honor of presenting her ? "

" Yes," said Franqois; " is that all ? "

" Yes, monseigneur, absolutely all."

" Go ; you have my word."

" And you," said Monsoreau, approaching the duke's ear, " shall keep the throne to which I have raised you. Adieu, sire."

This time his words were so low that they sounded pleasantly in the prince's ears.

" And now," thought Monsoreau, " to discover how the duke has found it out."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

HOW THE CHANCELLOR UNVEILED A CONSPIRACY.

THAT same evening, M. de Monsoreau secured one of the objects for the achievement of which he had insisted on the Due d'Anjou's intervention: he presented his wife in the Queen's circle and in that of the queen mother also.

Henri, tired out as usual, had gone to bed, after being informed by M. de Morvilliers that he must hold a council the next morning.

Henri did not even ask the chancellor why such a council should assemble ; his Majesty was too sleepy. The hour was afterward fixed on which would be least likely to disturb the slumbers and repose of the sovereign.

This magistrate knew his master perfectly, and was fully aware that, unlike Philip of Macedon, his King would pay but slight attention to his communications if he had to listen to them when dozing or fasting.

S60 LA DAME DE MOtfSOREAlf.

He also knew that Henri was subject to insomnia — it is the lot of those who have to watch over the sleep of others not to sleep themselves — and would be sure, sometime in the middle of the night, to remember the audience asked for ; he would, therefore, grant it under the spur of a curiosity proportioned to the situation.

Everything passed as M. de Morvilliers had foreseen.

Henri woke after sleeping three or four hours; recalling to mind the chancellor's request, he sat up and began to think. But thinking alone he found rather tedious ; he slipped out of bed, put on his silk drawers and slippers, and making no further change in his night costume, — which gave him the appearance of a spectre, — he made his way by the light of his lamp — never extinguished since the night when the voice of the Eternal rang in his ears through the air-cane of Madame de Saint-Luc — to Chicot's bedroom. Now the jester's bedroom was at present the one in which Mademoiselle de Bris-sac had so happily celebrated her wedding-night.

The Gascon was sleeping soundly and snoring like a forge.

Henri pulled him three times by the arm without awaking him.

But, after the third time, the King shouted so loud that Chicot opened an eye.

" Chicot! " repeated the King.

"What is the matter now ? " asked the Gascon.

" Ah! my friend, can you sleep thus when your King finds sleep impossible ? "

" Good heavens ! " cried Chicot, pretending not to recognize the King, " is it possible, then, that his Majesty has a fit of indigestion ? "

" Chicot, my friend," said Henri, " it is I! "

" You; who ? "

"I, Henri."

" Decidedly, my son, the pheasants disagreed with you; I warned you at supper, but you would eat so much of them, as well as of that crawfish soup."

" No," answered Henri, " I hardly tasted either."

" Then some one has poisoned you. Venire de biche ! how pale you look, Henri! "

" It is my mask, my friend," said the King.

" You are not sick, then ? n

"No."

" Then why do you wake me ? "

" Because I am terribly worried."

" You are worried, are you ? "

" Yes, greatly."

" So much the better."

" Why so much the better ? "

" Because trouble brings reflection, and you will reflect that you have no right to wake an honest man at two in the morning except you are going to make him a present. What have, you for me ? Show me."

" Nothing, Chicot. I have come to talk with you."

" That is not enough."

" Chicot, M. de Morvilliers came to court last night."

" You receive very bad company, Henri. What did he come for ? "

" To ask me for an audience."

"Ah! there is a man who has some little breeding; he is not like yon, Henri, coming into people's bedrooms at two in the morning without as much as saying by your leave."

" But what could he have to say to me, Chicot ? "

" What! was it to ask that you woke me up ? "

" Chicot, my friend, you know that M. de Morvilliers has something to do with my police."

"No, faith, I knew nothing about it."

" Chicot, I find that M. de Morvilliers is always remarkably well informed."

" And to think," cried the Gascon, " that I might now be asleep, instead of listening to such nonsense."

" Have you any doubt as to the chancellor's watchfulness ? " asked the King.

" Yes, corbceuf, I have, and I have my reasons for it, too."

" What are they ? "

" If I give you one, will that be enough ? "

" Yes, if it is a good one."

" And you will leave me in peace afterward ? "

" Certainly."

"Well, one day — no, it was one evening "

" That does not matter."

" On the contrary, it matters a great deal - Well, one evening I beat you in the Rue Fromentel; Quelus and Schomberg were with you."

" You beat me ? "

" Yes, cudgelled you ; cudgelled you all three."

" And why ? "

" You had insulted my page. You received the blows, then, and M. de Morvilliers never said a word about them. 7 '

" What! " cried Henri, " it was you, you scoundrel! you sacrilegious wretch! "

" Myself and none other," said Chicot, rubbing his hands. " Don't you think, my son, I hit pretty hard when I set about it?"

" Scoundrel! "

" You acknowledge then that what I say is true ? "

" I will have you whipped, Chicot."

" That is not the question. All I ask you is to say whether it is true or not."

" You know well it is true, you rascal ! "

" And did you send for M. de Morvilliers the next day ? "

" Yes, you were present when he came."

"And you told him of the grievous accident that had happened to one of your friends ? "

"Yes."

" And you ordered him to find the criminal ? "

"Yes."

" Did he find him for you ? "

« No."

" Well, go to bed, Henri; you see your police is n't worth much."

And turning to the wall, refusing to answer a single word, Chicot was soon snoring again with a loudness that resembled the booming of cannon. The King gave up in despair all hope of rousing him from his second sleep.

Henri returned to his room, sighing on the way, and having no one to converse with but his greyhound Narcisse, he bewailed to the latter the misfortune of kings who can never learn the truth except at their own expense.

The next day the council assembled. The composition of this council varied with the changing friendships of the King. The members this time were Quelus, Maugiron, D'^pernon, and Schomberg, these four having been the favorites for over six months.

Chicot, seated at the head of the table, was cutting out paper boats and arranging them in line j he wanted, he said,

to create a fleet for his Most Christian Majesty fully equal to that of his Most Catholic Majesty.

M. de Morvilliers was announced.

The statesman had assumed his most sombre garb and his most lugubrious air for the occasion. After a profound salutation, which was returned by Chicot, he approached the King.

" I am/' said he, " in presence of your Majesty's council ? "

" Yes, in presence of my best friends. Speak."

'/ Then, sire, I take courage, and I have need of all my courage, for I have a terrible plot to denounce to your Majesty."

" A plot!" cried all.

Chicot pricked up his ears and suspended the construction of a splendid two-masted galiot which he intended making the flagship of his fleet.

" Yes, your Majesty, a plot," said M. de Morvilliers, in the mysterious, half-suppressed tones that forebode a terrible revelation.

" Oh ! " cried the King, " a Spanish plot, is it ? "

At this moment the Due d'Anjou entered the hall, the doors of which were immediately closed.

" Have you heard, brother ? " cried Henri. " M. de Morvilliers has just informed us of a plot against the safety of the state."

The duke's eyes moved slowly round the hall with that piercing, suspicious look we know so well.

" Is it really possible," he murmured.

" Alas ! yes, monseigneur," said M. de Morvilliers, " a most dangerous plot."

" Tell us all about it," replied Chicot, putting his completed galiot in the crystal basin on the table.

" Yes," stammered the Due d'Anjou, "tell us all about it, M. le Chancelier."

" I am listening," said Henri.

The chancellor spoke in his most guarded tone, assuming his humblest attitude, showing in his eyes the importance he attached to his information.

" Sire," said he, " I have had some malcontents under surveillance for a long time " —