La Dame de Monsoreau (79 page)

" Well, perhaps, monseigneur, it is as well to drop the subject," and Bussy turned his back on the prince.

At this moment several gentlemen entered who were new arrivals; the duke went to meet them, and Bussy was alone.

The prince's words had set him thinking.

What were the duke's real intentions with regard to the Baron de Meridor ?

Were they those expressed by the prince ? Was it his sole object to win to his cause the support of an old nobleman who was both powerful and universally respected ? Or were his political plans used simply as the means of bringing him nearer to Diane ?

Bussy turned over in his mind the prince's present situation : he had quarrelled with his brother, was an exile from the Louvre, the head of an insurrection in the province.

He put in one scale the duke's material interests; in the other his amorous fancies.

The first scale far outweighed the second one.

Bussy was disposed to forgive the duke all the other wrongs he had received at his hands, provided he spared him this one.

He spent the whole night banqueting with his royal highness and the Angevine gentlemen, making his best bows to

the Angevine ladies, and, when the violins were brought in, teaching these same fair ladies the newest dances.

It is needless to say that the women admired him, and their husbands hated him ; and, as some of the latter looked at him in a way Bussy did not like, he twisted his mustache defiantly some half dozen times or so, and politely requested three or four of these gentlemen to step out with him for a walk on the lawn.

But his reputation had preceded him at Angers, and Bussy's offer was respectfully declined.

CHAPTER LVIII.

HOW RlSMY RODE LIKE THE WILD HUNTSMAN AND ANSWERED LIKE THE SOBER SPARTAN.

OUTSIDE the gate of the ducal palace Bussy came upon a frank, faithful, laughing face he had believed to be two hundred and forty miles away.

" Ah ! " cried he, joyfully, " so it 's you, Remy ! "

" Why, of course it is, monseigneur."

" I was on the point of asking you to join me."

« Really ? "

" Upon my honor."

" Why, then, I ? m in luck. I was afraid you would scold me."

" And for what, pray ? "

" For coming without leave. But, by my faith, as soon as I heard that the Due d'Anjou had escaped from the Louvre and started for his province, I remembered that you were somewhere in the neighborhood of Angers. Then I said to myself, there was sure to be a civil war, with a good deal of cutting and thrusting on both sides, and a good number of holes bored in my neighbor's hide. So, as you know, as I love my neighbor as myself, and even more than myself, I ran up to have my share of the fun."

" You did well, Remy; I give you my word I missed you sadly."

" How is Gertrude, monseigneur ? "

The count smiled.

u I promise to inquire of Diane the first time I see her," said he-

" And as one good turn deserves another/' answered Remy, " I will ask her, the first time I see her, for news of Madame de Monsoreau."

" You are a charming companion j and how did you manage to find me ? "

" Faith, that was not a very difficult task ; I asked where the ducal hotel was and waited for you at the gate, after putting my horse up in one of the prince's stables, where, God pardon me, I found yours."

" Yes, the prince had killed his; I lent him Roland, and, as he had no other, he kept him."

" That's just like you! It is you who are the prince, and the prince who is the servant."

" Do not exalt me to such a height, Remy; you are going to see how your prince is lodged."

And, after saying this, he introduced Le Haudouin into his little house by the rampart.

" Now you see what the palace is like ; lodge wherever you like, or, rather, wherever you can."

" That won't give me much trouble ; I am not very exacting, as you know. Besides, I am so dead beat at present that I could sleep standing."

The two friends — for Bussy treated Le Haudouin more like a friend than a servant — separated, and Bussy, in higher spirits than ever, now that he had both Diane and Remy near him, slept the sleep of the just.

The duke, too, must have slept soundly, for in order that he might have a chance of doing so, he requested his friends to stop firing the cannon and muskets; as for the bells they stopped of their own accord, thanks to the blistered hands of the ringers.

Bussy rose early and ran to the castle, ordering his valet to bid Remy join him.

His purpose was to observe the face of his highness when he awoke. It is sometimes possible to catch on the features of the yawning and semi-somnolent person who has just been roused from his slumbers a reflection of the thoughts that are in his mind.

The duke was up, but it might have been said of him, as well as of his brother Henri, that he wore a mask while sleeping.

Bussy's early rising brought him no returns.

He had a whole catalogue of matters, one more important than another, ready for the inspection of the prince.

First, a tour round the walls to examine the fortifications.

Then, a review of the citizens and their arms.

Next, a visit to the arsenal and orders for supplies of all sorts of munitions.

After this, a careful examination of the taxes of the province, to see if it were not possible to induce his highness's leal and trusty vassals to supplement them by a few more little imposts on the common people.

Finally, the correspondence.

But Bussy was perfectly well aware he might not give himself much trouble about the last article ; the Due d'Anjou wrote little; even at that period the proverb " What is written remaineth," was in high favor.

So, armed to meet whatever evil designs might be in the mind of his prince, Bussy watched him as he opened his eyes, but could read nothing in those eyes.

" Ah ! " murmured the duke, " you here already ! "

" Why, of course, monseigneur, I could not sleep a wink the whole night ; the affairs of your highness kept running in my head all the time. And now, what are we going to do this forenoon ? Stay — I have it! What if we hunted ?

" Good ! " said Bussy to himself, " I thought of that on the spur of the moment; it would give him another occupation."

'? Eh ! " said the prince, " you say you were thinking of my interests the whole night, and the result of all your wakeful-ness and meditation is to propose to me that I should hunt ? What nonsense ! "

" You are right," said Bussy ; " besides, we have n't a pack."

" Nor a grand huntsman, either," rejoined the prince.

" Egad, for my part, I should find the chase more pleasant without him."

" Well, I 'm not like you ; I miss him."

The duke said this in such a singular tone that Bussy noticed it.

" It would seem," he answered, " that that worthy gentleman of whom you are so fond has done nothing for your deliverance any more than myself."

The duke smiled.

" Good," said Bussy to himself; " I know that smile, it is one of his evil smiles; look out for yourself, Monsoreau!"

" You still hate him ? " asked the prince.

« Monsoreau ? "

« Yes."

" Why should I hate him ? "

" Because he is my friend."

" I pity him, on the contrary/'

" What does that mean ? "

t( The higher you raise him, the lower he '11 fall when he falls."

" Ah, I see now you are in high spirits."

" I ? "

" Yes, that's the way you always talk to me -when you are in high spirits — No matter/' continued the duke, " I stand by what I said, and Monsoreau would have been very useful to me in this country."

"Why?"

" Because he has property in the neighborhood."

« He ? "

"He or his wife."

Bussy bit his lips. The duke was bringing the conversation back to the point from which his follower had so much trouble in diverting him the evening before.

" Ah, you believe that, do you ? " he said.

" Undoubtedly. Meridor is about nine or ten miles from Angers. Surely you ought to know that, since it was you that brought the old baron to me."

Bussy saw he must meet this new peril the best way he could.

" Hang it, yes ! " said he, " I brought him to you, but why ? Because he hung on to iny cloak, and unless, like Saint Martin, I left the half of it between his fingers, I had to bring him — At all events, my protection was n't any great help to him."

" Listen," said the duke, " I have an idea."

" The devil you have !" answered Bussy, who had always distrusted his master's ideas.

" Yes, Monsoreau got the better of you once; this time it's you that shall get the better of him."

" What is your meaning, my prince.? "

" It's quite simple. You know me, Bussy ? "

" I have that misfortune."

" Do you think I am the man to endure an affront and let it pass unpunished ? "

" That depends/'

The smile of the duke was, if possible, even more baleful than his smile before, while he bit his lips, and shook his head up and down.

" Come, now, monseigneur," said Bussy, " pray explain yourself."

" Well, the grand huntsman stole from me a woman I loved, and made her his wife ; now I, in my turn, will steal from him his wife and make her my mistress."

Bussy tried to smile, but all his efforts ended in a grimace.

" Steal M. de Monsoreau's wife ! " he stammered.

" Why, nothing, it seems to me, is easier," said the duke. " The woman is now residing on her estate, and you have told me yourself that she detests her husband ; I may, then, without any vanity, come to the conclusion that she will prefer me to Monsoreau, especially if I promise — what I shall promise."

" And what will you promise her, monseigneur ? "

" To rid her of her husband."

" Ah, then," Bussy was on the point of crying, " why don't you do so at once ? "

But he had the courage to control himself.

" You would do so fine a deed as that ? "

" You shall see. Meanwhile I will pay a visit to Meridor."

" You would dare ? "

« Why not ? "

" You would force your way into the presence of the old baron whom you abandoned, after your promise to me "-

" I have an excellent excuse to offer."

" Where the devil are you going to find your excuse ? "

" Oh, don't be uneasy. I shall say to him : < I did not break that marriage, because Monsoreau, who knew that you were one of the principal agents of the League and that I was its chief, threatened to sell us both to the King.'"

" Ah ! And is this really an invention of your highness ? "

" Not entirely, I must admit," answered the duke.

" Then I understand," said Bussy.

" You understand ?" repeated the duke, who was quite mistaken as to the real significance of Bussy's words.

« Yes."

" I shall make him believe that, by allowing Monsoreau to marry his daughter, I saved his life, which was in danger."

" A splendid idea! " said Bussy.

" Is n't it ? Oh, by the way, now I think of it, please look out of the window."

" Why ? "

"Do as I tell you."

" Very well, I 'in looking."

" What kind of weather is it ? "

" I am forced to confess to your highness that it is very fine."

" Good. Order out the horses and we '11 go and find out how this old fogy Meridor is getting along."

" Immediately, monseigneur."

And Bussy, who for the last quarter of an hour had been acting the part of our embarrassed friend Mascarille, pretended to be going out, went as far as the door, and returned.

" Excuse me, monseigneur, but how many horses did you order ? "

" Oh, four or five — as many as you like."

"Then, if you leave the decision of the matter to me, monseigneur," said Bussy, " I shall order out a hundred."

" Oh, a hundred, if you wish," answered the astonished prince ; " but what do you want with so many ? "

" Because then I can rely on about a quarter of them to do their duty if we are attacked."

The duke started.

" If we are attacked ? " he asked.

" Yes," continued Bussy; " I have heard that that district is covered with woods, and it would not be at all strange if we fell into an ambuscade."

" Ah ! " exclaimed the duke ; " do you think so ? "

" Your highness is aware that true courage does not exclude prudence."

The duke was reflecting.

" I '11 order out a hundred and fifty," said Bussy, moving a second time toward the door.

" Stop a moment," said the prince.

" What is the matter, monseigneur ? "

" Do you believe I am safe in Angers ? "

" Well, the city is not strong ; but, if well defended "

" Yes, if well defended ; but it may not be well defended. Brave as you are, Bussy, you cannot be in more than one place at the same time."

" Probably not/'

" If I am not safe in the city, — and it is clear I am not, siiuce Bussy has his doubts "

" I did not say I had any doubts, monseigneur."

" Oh, yes ! of course, I understand you ; if I am not safe, I must take prompt measures to secure my safety."

" Your words are golden, monseigneur."

" So I will examine the castle, and intrench myself within it."

" You are right, monseigneur ; but see to it that the intrench-ments be good ones."

Bussy stammered ; he was afraid, and, until now, fear and he had been strangers ; he could not think of anything to say that might help him.

" And then, I have another idea," said the prince.

" This morning is fruitful, monseigneur," retorted Bussy.

" I shall bring the Meridors here."