La Dame de Monsoreau (98 page)

" How did such an idiotic idea get into his head ? "

" Oh, the thing is simple enough ; such ideas do get into the

heads of honest men. He fancies it is a doctor's duty to cure people."

" Why, the fellow must be a visionary, then ! "

" But, as I was about to say, Monsoreau believes he owes his life to me, and has asked me to take care of his wife."

" Ah ! I can see now why you await his death with such composure. But your news has struck me all of a heap, I can tell you !"

" My dear friend ! "

" Yes, upon my honor. What you tell me takes away my breath."

" You see that at present we need not trouble ourselves about Monsoreau."

" Right. Let us enjoy life as long as he is on the sick list. But the moment I hear he is out of bed, I shall order myself a suit of mail and put iron shutters on all my windows. And you will find out from the Due d'Anjou whether his excellent mother has not given him some receipt or other for an antidote against poisons. You will ? In the meantime, my dear fellow, why not have all the diversion we can ? "

Bussy could not help smiling; he linked his arm in Saint-Luc's.

" So, my dear Saint-Luc," said he, " you see you have only done me half a service! "

Saint-Luc stared at him in amazement.

' Yes, after all, you 're right. Do you want me to put the finishing touch on my work ? I should n't altogether like it; but for you, my dear Bussy, there are a good many things I would do, particularly if he should look at me out of that jaundiced eye of his, — faugh!"

" No, no. As I said, we need not trouble ourselves about Monsoreau at present. If you think you owe me a debt, you can pay it in another way "

" Well, go on, I am listening."

" How do you stand with the minions ? "

" Faith, we are something like cats and dogs in the sunlight. As long as it gives heat to the whole of us, we have nothing to quarrel about; but if one take any portion of the warmth and light from the other — oh ! then I would not answer for the consequences."

" Is it so ? My friend, what you say delights me."

" Ah ! so much the better."

" Suppose a sunbeam be intercepted ? "

" Suppose it is. Granted."

" In that case you will show me your beautiful white teeth, stretch out your formidable claws, and then the fun will begin."

" I don't quite understand."

Bussy smiled.

"Well, my dear friend, will you go for me to M. de Quelus ? "

" Ah ! " exclaimed Saint-Luc.

" YOU are beginning to understand, are you not ? "

« Yes."

" Capital. You will ask him what day it will please him that I should cut his throat or he mine."

" I will do so."

" You do not mind it ? "

" Not the least in the world. I will go whenever you wish — immediately, if you like."

" A moment. After calling on M. de Quelus, you will next make the same proposal to M. de Schomberg, will you not ? "

" Ah ! " cried Saint-Luc, " M. de Schomberg also ! What a devil of a man you are, Bussy! "

Bussy made a gesture that did not admit of reply.

" Agreed," said Saint-Luc ; " thy will be done."

" Then, my dear Saint-Luc, as you are so amiable," continued Bussy, " I will ask you to visit M. de Maugiron — he is on guard at the Louvre, for I saw he had on his gorget — and request him to join the party, will you not ? "

" Oh, three ! you cannot mean it, Bussy ! Well, I hope that's all, at least?"

" By no means."

" What ! not all ? "

" From there you will go to M. d'Epernon. I do r^ot ask you to trouble your head much about him, for, in my eyes, he is a very poor creature ; but, then, he will make up the number! "

Saint-Luc dropped his arms in dismay and stared at Bussy.

" Four ! " he murmured.

" You are quite correct, my dear friend," said Bussy, nodding assent; " four. I need not recommend a person of your intelligence, valor, and courtesy to display, in regard to these gentlemen, all that amiability and politeness which you possess in so high a degree " —

" Oh! my dear friend " —

" I am fully persuaded that the whole affair will be managed by you in a chivalrous fashion, in the manner befitting persons of our high rank. Am I not right ? "

" You shall be content, my friend."

Bussy offered his hand, with a smile, to Saint-Luc.

" I am sure of it," said he. " Ah! my worthy minions, you '11 find out, perhaps, that they laugh best who laugh last!"

tf And now, my dear friend, the conditions."

" What conditions ? "

" Yours."

" I make none. I accept the conditions of the minions."

" Your weapons ? "

" The weapons of the minions."

" The day, the place, the hour ? "

" The day, the place, the hour of the minions."

"But"

" Oh, let us dismiss such trifles. Act, and act quickly, my dear friend. I shall be in the little garden of the Louvre, where you will find me as soon as your mission is accomplished."

" Then you intend waiting for me there ? "

"Yes."*

"Well, do so. But, egad, you may have to stay there a considerable time."

" I have plenty of time."

We know now how it came to pass that Saint-Luc went in search of the four minions, found them all still in the Louvre, and engaged them in conversation.

It is now time to return to Bussy's friend, whom we left in the antechamber of the Hotel de Schomberg, waiting, according to the laws of etiquette then in vogue, until the royal favorites, who were pretty certain of the purpose of his visit, should be formally installed, each in one of the four corners of the vast drawing-room.

When this ceremony was accomplished, the folding-doors were flung wide open, and an usher came and saluted Saint-Luc, who, with his right hand, in which he held his hat, resting on his hip, and his left pressing the hilt of his rapier, which gracefully tilted up his cloak, marched to the centre of the threshold and then halted.

" M. d'Espinay de Saint-Luc ! " cried the usher.

Whereupon Saint-Luc entered.

Schomberg, as master of the house, rose and proceeded to meet his guest, who, instead of saluting, put on his hat.

This formality marked the character of the visit.

Schomberg replied by bowing a second time ; then, turning to Quelus:

(f l have the honor to present to you," said he, " M. Jacques de Levis, Comte de Quelus."

Saint-Luc took a step toward Quelus, and, with a profound inclination, said :

" I was looking for you, monsieur."

Quelus saluted.

Schomberg turned to another corner of the hall, saying :

" I have the honor to present to you M. Louis de Maugiron."

Same salutations by Saint-Luc and Maugiron.

" I was looking for you, monsieur," said Saint-Luc.

A similar ceremony was gone through in the same cold and impassive manner with D'Epernon.

Then it was the turn of Schomberg, who presented himself and received the same reply.

When these preliminaries were finished, the four friends sat down, while Saint-Luc continued to stand.

" M. le Comte," said he to Quelus, " you have insulted M. le Comte Louis de Clermont d'Amboise, Seigneur de Bussy, who presents you his very humble compliments, and begs you to meet him in single combat, on such a day and at such an. hour as may suit your convenience, in order that you may fight with such weapons as you may choose, until death ensue — Do you accept ? "

" Yes, certainly," answered Quelus, " and M. le Comte de Bussy does me great honor."

" Your day, M. le Comte ? "

" I have no preference — only, I should prefer to-morrow to the day after to-morrow, and the day after that to any later date." *

" Your hour ? " »

" In the morning."

" Your weapons ? "

" Rapier and poniard, if M. de Bussy do not object."

Saint-Luc bowed.

" Whatever you decide on that point," said he, " is law to M. de Bussy."

Afterward, the same formality wae gone through with the three others.

" But," said Schomberg, who, as master of the house, had been the last to be addressed and to answer, "there is one thing we have not thought of, M. de Saint-Luc. It is that if we were all pleased to choose the same day and the same hour — and chance sometimes brings about strange eventualities — M. de Bussy would be rather embarrassed."

M. de Saint-Luc saluted, smiling in his courtliest manner.

" Certainly," said he ; " M. de Bussy might be embarrassed, as must any other gentleman in a combat with four valiant men like you. But he says the incident would have no novelty for him, as it has already happened at Les Tournelles, near the Bastile."

" And he would fight us all four ? " said D'Epernon.

" All four," answered Saint-Luc.

" Separately ? " inquired Schomberg.

" Separately or together; the challenge is for all, individually or collectively."

The four young men looked at one another. Quelus was the first to break silence.

" M. de Bussy's offer is very fine," said he, crimson with rage, " but, however insignificant he may deem us, we can each perform our task singly. We will accept the count's proposal, then, and fight him separately, or, what would be better still "

Quelus looked round at his companions, who, doubtless understanding his meaning, nodded their heads in assent.

" Or, what would be still better," he repeated, " as we do not want to assassinate a gallant man, let chance decide which of us is to fight M. de Bussy."

" But," said D'Epernon, quickly, " what about the three others ? "

"The three others ! Surely, M. de Bussy has too many friends and we too many enemies for the three others to be obliged to stand with their arms folded.

" Is that your opinion, gentlemen ? " he asked, looking at each in turn.

" Yes," said they all, in unison.

" It would give me the greatest pleasure, in fact," said Schomberg, " if M. de Bussy invited M. de Livarot to our festival."

" If I might venture to express a wish on the subject," said Maugiron, " I should desire M. de Balzac d'Entragues to be of the party."

"And the party would be complete," said Quelus, "if M. de Ribeirac graciously consented to accompany his friends."

" Gentlemen," said Saint-Luc, " 1 will transmit your wishes to M. le Comte de Bussy, and I think I may assure you in advance that he is too courteous not to comply with them. It only remains for me, then, to thank you most sincerely in the name ' of M. de Bussy."

Saint-Luc bowed anew, and the four gentlemen who had just been challenged lowered their heads to the same level as his.

The minions then escorted Saint-Luc to the door of the apartment.

He found the four lackeys in the last antechamber.

He took his purse and flung it among them, saying :

" To enable you to drink to your masters' health."

CHAPTER LXXVIII.

SHOWING HOW SAINT-LUC WAS MOKE CIVILIZED THAN BUSSY, THE LESSONS HE GAVE HIM, AND THE USE MADE OF THEM BY THE FAIR DIANE'S LOVER.

SAINT-LUC returned, proud of having executed his commission so well.

Bussy was waiting for him and thanked him.

Saint-Luc perceived that he was very sad, and this was not natural in the case of so brave a man at the news of a glorious duel.

" Have I managed badly ? " said Saint-Luc; " you seem quite put out."

" By my faith, my dear friend, I regret that, instead of appointing another day, you did not say : ' at once.'' :

" Ah! patience, the Angevines have n't come yet. Why the devil won't you give them time to come ? And then, I don't see why you should be in such a hurry to pile up a heap of dead and dying people."

" It is because I wish to die as soon as possible."

Saint-Luc stared at Bussy in utter amazement.

u Die at your age! and with such a mistress and such a name ? "

" Yes, I know I shall kill the whole four of them; but I am also sure of receiving a cut or thrust myself that will ensure me peace for all eternity."

" What black ideas are these ? "

" I 'd just like to see you in my case! A husband I thought dead, and now he 's alive and kicking; a woman never able to leave the bedside of this sham corpse. Never to see her, never to smile on her, never to touch her hand. Mordieu! how I wish I could make mincemeat of some one — I don't care whom !"

The answer to this sally was a roar of laughter from Saint-Luc that scattered a whole flock of sparrows who were pecking at the fruit of a tree in the little garden of the Louvre.

" Ah ! " cried he, " did one ever see such an artless creature ! And to think that all the women are in love with this Bussy ! Wl^, he 's a schoolboy ! But, my dear friend, you really are losing your senses : there is not in the whole world as lucky a lover as you."

"Oh! indeed! Well, prove me that, thou married man."

"Nihil facilins, as used to say my old pedagogue, the Jesuit Triquet. Are you not Monsoreau's friend ? "

" Yes, faith; though on account of my respect for the human understanding, I 'm ashamed to confess it. Yes, that clown calls me friend."

" Well! be his friend."

" Oh ! and abuse such a title !"

ti Prorsus absurdum, would answer Triquet again. Is he really your friend ? "

" Well, he says he is."

" He can't be, since he renders you unhappy. Now, the end of friendship is to make men happy in their relations to one another. At least, so his Majesty defines friendship, and the King is a scholar."

Bussy burst out laughing.

" Allow me to continue," Saint-Luc went on. " If he renders you unhappy he is not your friend. Therefore, you may treat him as a stranger, and take his wife from him ; or as an enemy, and kill him, if he make any objection."