La Dame de Monsoreau (96 page)

Now, as Bussy alone had the power and capacity to advise

Francois, a storm was raised against Bussy that grew more furious every day, until it threatened to burst over his head.

There were public councils held to discuss the best method of intimidating the King's enemies, and private councils held to discuss the best method of exterminating them, when, at length, tidings came of the arrival of an ambassador from the Due d'Anjou.

How did these tidings come ? Who brought them ? Who spread them ?

It would be as easy to account for the tempestuous whirlwinds in the air, or the sandy whirlwinds on the plains, or the noisy whirlwinds in the streets.

There is a demon that attaches wings to certain rumors, and then sends them flying like eagles into space.

When the rumor of which we have spoken came flying into the Louvre the excitement was indescribable.

The King turned pale with anger, and the courtiers, as is usual with courtiers, aping the passion of their master in an exaggerated degree, turned livid.

They swore.

It would be difficult to repeat all the oaths they swore; but, among other things, they swore these :

If the ambassador were an old man, he should be hooted, scouted, fettered.

If he were a young man, he should be cloven in twain, bored through and through, cut into small pieces, which pieces should be distributed among the provinces of France as samples of the royal anger.

And the minions, according to their custom, began whetting their rapiers, taking lessons in fencing and practising against the walls with their daggers. But Chicot neither drew his sword from its scabbard nor his poniard from its sheath ; on the contrary, he gave himself up to profound reflection.

And the King, seeing that Chicot was reflecting, remembered that, during a certain crisis, Chicot had been of the opinion of the queen mother, and that their joint opinion had been verified by events.

So the King saw that in Chicot was embodied the wisdom of his kingdom, and he questioned him on the subject under discussion.

" Sire," replied the Gascon, after long deliberation, " either the Due d'Anjou sends you an ambassador or he does not."

" By my faith," said the King. " it was hardly worth while for you to make a hollow in your cheek with your fist in order to discover that fine dilemma."

" Patience, patience, as your august mother, whom God preserve, is in the habit of saying in Machiavelli's tongue ; patience."

" Anybody can see that I have enough of that, since I am willing to hear you," retorted the King.

"If he send you an ambassador, it is because he believes he can do so ; if he believe he can do so, it is because he feels he is strong; if he feel he is strong, we must walk warily. Respect the powerful, do your best to overreach them, but do not slight them. Always receive their ambassadors, and always show that you are delighted to receive them. That binds you to nothing. Do you remember how your brother embraced that simple Admiral Coligny, sent to him as ambassador by the Huguenots, who also believed that they were very powerful people ? " ^

" Then you approve of the policy of my brother Charles ? "

" No, no; let us understand each other. I quote a case in point, and I add : Do not harm a poor herald, clerk, or envoy, or ambassador. But rather, let us see if we cannot discover, later on, some way of nabbing the master, the mover, the leader, the most high and mighty prince, Monseigneur le Due d'Anjou, the genuine, sole, and only culprit, and, of course, also the three Guises. Oh ! sire, if we can then clap them into some securer hold than the Louvre, by all means let us do it."

" I rather like your suggestion," said Henri.

" Odsfish ! it does n't irritate you, then ? Well, I '11 go on."

« Go on."

" But in case he does n't send an ambassador, you must stop your friends from bellowing."

" Bellowing ! "

" You understand; I would say e roaring,' if any one were likely to take them for lions. I say ' bellowing' because — hold on, Henri — it really turns my stomach to look on while the young bucks, with about as much hair on their chins as on those of the monkeys in your menagerie, are playing at the game of ghosts like little brats of boys, and trying to frighten men by screaming: ' wow! wow !' If the Due d' Anjou should send no ambassador, they 're sure to fancy it

was because he was afraid of them, and there will be no standing them."

" Chicot, you seem to forget that the persons you speak of are my friends, my only friends."

" Wouldst wish me to win a thousand crowns, 0 my King ? " answered Chicot.

" Speak."

"Bet with me that those fellows will remain faithful in spite of every temptation, and I will bet that before to-morrow I shall have won three out of the four of them over to myself and away from you, won them body and soul. 7 '

Chicot spoke with so much assurance that Henri did not reply. He reflected.

" Ah ! " said Chicot ; " so it 's your time for reflecting now, and you make a hollow in your charming little jaw with your charming little fist also. You have more sense, after all, than I have been in the habit of crediting you with, for you have an inkling of the truth, my son."

" Then what do you advise ? "

" To wait, great King. The half of Solomon's wisdom lies in that word. If an ambassador come, bid him welcome; if no one come, do as you like. But as for your brother, if you take my advice, you will not allow him to be torn in pieces by your scapegraces. Cordieu ! he 's a great blackguard himself; I know that well, but he is a Valois. Kill him if you find it to your interest; but, for the honor of your name, do not degrade him. He does that himself with wonderful ingenuity and without any one's help."

« It 's true, Chicot."

" One more lesson for which you are my debtor. Luckily for you, we have given up counting. Now let me sleep, Henri. A week ago I had for certain excellent reasons to send a monk under the table, and whenever I accomplish one of these noble achievements I have to keep half seas over myself for a week afterward."

" A monk! The worthy Genevievan you spoke about lately ? "

" Correct. By the way, you promised him an abbey."

" I ? "

" Of course, you. It 's the least you could do for him after all he has done for you."

" He is, then, still devoted to me ? "

" He adores you. And by the way again, rny son "

« Well ? "

" Corpus Christ! will come in three weeks."

" And supposing it does ? "

" I hope you are paving the way for some pretty little procession for us."

" I am the most Christian King, and it is my duty to set my people a religious example."

" And you will, as usual, do the stations in the four great convents of Paris ? "

" As usual."

" The Abbey of Sainte Genevieve is one of them, is it not ? "

" Undoubtedly ; it is the second one I intend visiting."

« Good."

" Why do you ask me that ? "

" Oh, for no reason at all. I was simply curious. Now I know what I wanted to know. Good-night, Henri."

But just as Chicot was making his preparations for a good sound nap, a great uproar was heard in the Louvre.

" What is that noise about ? " inquired the King.

" Well, well! " sighed Chicot. " I am fated never to have a chance of sleeping, Henri."

" Oh, nonsense."

" You '11 find it no nonsense. My son, you must hire me a room in the city, or I'll have to quit your service. Upon my sacred honor, the Louvre is habitable no longer ! "

At this moment the captain of the guards entered; he looked quite scared.

" What is the matter ? " inquired the King.

" Sire," replied the captain, " an envoy from M. le Due d'Anjou has just entered the Louvre."

" With a suite ? "

"No, alone."

"Then there is a twofold reason for receiving him graciously, Henri, for he is a brave man."

" Very well," said the King, trying to assume an air of calmness which his paleness belied, " very well, let all my court assemble in the grand hall, and let my valets attire me in black. A brother should be in mourning who is so unfortunate that he must treat with a brother through an ambassador ! "

CHAPTER LXXVI.

WHICH IS ONLY THE CONTINUATION OF THE FOREGOING -CURTAILED BY THE AUTHOR ON ACCOUNT OF IT BEING NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE throne of Henri III. was in the grand hall.

Around this throne was grouped an agitated and tumultuous crowd.

The King was seated on it; he looked gloomy and there were wrinkles on his forehead.

All eyes were riveted on the gallery through which the captain of the guards would introduce the envoy.

u Sire," said Quelus, whispering in the King's ear, " do you know the name of this ambassador ? "

" No ; what is his name to me ? "

" Sire, it is M. de Bussy ; does not that fact treble the insult ? "

" I cannot see where the insult lies/' said Henri, trying to preserve his coolness.

" Your Majesty may not see it," said Schomberg, " but we see it plain enough."

Henri made no answer. He felt that anger and hatred were at work around his throne, and rejoiced that he had been able to place two ramparts of such strength between himself and his enemies.

Quelus, pale and red by turns, rested both his hands 011 the hilt of his rapier.

Schomberg took off his gloves and half drew his poniard from its sheath.

Maugiron buckled on his sword, which his page had handed to him.

D'Epernon twisted the ends of his mustache up to his eyes, but placed himself behind his companions.

As for Henri, like a hunter who hears his dogs yelping at a boar he let his favorites do as they pleased, and smiled.

" Show him in," said he.

At these words a deathlike silence pervaded the hall, though beneath that silence it seemed as if the hollow rumbling of the King's wrath might be heard.

Then a quick, firm step, accompanied by the jingling of

spurs, proudly rang on the flagstones, and sounded next in the gallery. +

Bussy entered, hat in hand, his head erect, and his eyes calm.

None of those who surrounded the throne were able to attract the young man's haughty glance.

He advanced straight to Henri, made a profound inclination, and waited until he should be questioned, standing proudly before the throne, but with a pride wholly personal, the pride of the man of gentle birth, in which there can be nothing insulting to the majesty of a King.

"• You here, M. de Bussy ! " said Henri. " I believed you were away in Anjou."

" Sire/' answered Bussy, " I was ; but, as you see, I have left it."

" And what brings you to our capital ? "

"The desire of presenting my humble respects to your Majesty."

The King and minions looked at one another; it was evident they had expected a different answer from a young man so impetuous.

" And for nothing else ? " asked the King, in a rather stately manner.

" I will add, sire, that I have been ordered by his highness the Due d'Anjou, my master, to unite his respects to mine."

" And .the duke said nothing else ? "

" He said that, being about to accompany the queen mother to Paris, he desired that your Majesty should be apprised of the return of one of your most faithful subjects."

The King was so astounded that he was unable, for a time, to continue his questions.

Chicot took advantage of the interruption to approach the ambassador.

" Good day, M. de Bussy," said he.

Bussy turned round, surprised to find a single friend in this assembly.

" Ah ! M. Chicot, I am heartily glad to meet you," replied Bussy ; " how is M. de Saint-Luc ? "

" Oh, very well ; I saw him out walking with his wife some time ago."

" So that is all you have to tell me, M. de Bussy ? " inquired the King.

" Yes, sire ; if there is any other important intelligence, the

Due d'Anjou will have the honor of imparting it to you himself." . •

" Very well," said the King.

And, rising silently, he descended the two steps of his throne.

The audience was over, the different groups broke up.

Bussy noticed from the corner of his eye that the four minions had advanced and stationed themselves around him, forming as it were a living circle of fury and menace.

At the end of the hall, the King and his chancellor were talking in whispers.

Bussy feigned to remark nothing out of the way and continued his conversation with Chicot.

Then, as if he had entered into the plot and had come to the resolution of isolating Bussy, the King called out:

" Come here, Chicot, I have something to say to you."

Chicot saluted Bussy with a polished courtesy which showed that his claims to gentle birth were well founded.

Bussy returned the salutation with equal graciousness, and was then alone in the circle around him.

Thereupon, he changed his manner and the expression of his countenance; he had been calm before the King, polite with Chicot; now he became condescending.

Seeing Quelus approaching:

" Ah ! good day, M. de Quelus," said he; " may I have the honor of asking how are you and your friends ? "

" Kather poorly, monsieur," replied Quelus.

" Dear me ! " cried Bussy, apparently much affected by this answer ; " and pray, what has happened ? "

" Something that troubles us greatly," replied Quelus.

" Something ? " exclaimed Bussy, amazed. " Surely you and your friends are strong enough, you, especially, M. de Quelus, to rid yourselves of this ' something ' ? "