"I saw nothing, sire. Does not your Majesty remember that I was questioning the janitor?"
"Yes, but, by Heaven, I saw"--
"Ah, if your Majesty saw anything, that is a different thing."
"I saw two men and two women. Well, I know now beyond a doubt that one of the women was Margot, and that one of the men was Monsieur de la Mole."
"Well," said Henry, "if Monsieur de la Mole was in the Rue Cloche Percee, he was not here."
"No," said Charles, "he was not here. But never mind who was here; we shall know this as soon as that imbecile of a Maurevel is able to speak or write. The point is that Margot is deceiving you."
"Bah!" said Henry; "do not believe such nonsense."
"When I tell you that you are more than near-sighted, that you are blind, the devil! will you believe me just once, stupid? I tell you that Margot is deceiving you, and that this evening we are going to strangle her lover."
Henry gave a start of surprise, and looked at his brother-in-law in amazement.
"Confess, Henry, that at heart you are not sorry. Margot will cry out like a thousand Niobes; but, faith! so much the worse. I do not want you to be made a fool of. If Conde is deceived by the Duc d"Anjou, I will wink; Conde is my enemy. But you are my brother; more than this, you are my friend."
"But, sire"--
"And I do not want you to be annoyed, and made a fool of. You have been a quintain long enough for all these popinjays who come from the provinces to gather our crumbs, and court our women. Let them come, or rather let them come again. By Heaven! you have been deceived, Henriot,--that might happen to any one,--but I swear, you shall have shining satisfaction, and to-morrow they shall say: In the name of a thousand devils! it seems that King Charles loves his brother Henriot, for last night he had Monsieur de la Mole"s tongue pulled out in a most amusing manner."
"Is this really decided on, sire?" asked Henry.
"Decided on, determined on, arranged. The c.o.xcomb will have no time to plead his cause. The expedition will consist of myself, D"Anjou, D"Alencon, and De Guise--a king, two sons of France, and a sovereign prince, without counting you."
"How without counting me?"
"Why, you are to be one of us."
"I!"
"Yes, you! you shall stab the fellow in a royal manner, while the rest of us strangle him."
"Sire," said Henry, "your kindness overpowers me; but how do you know"--
"Why, the devil! it seems that the fellow boasts of it. He goes sometimes to your wife"s apartments in the Louvre, sometimes to the Rue Cloche Percee. They compose verses together. I should like to see the stanzas that fop writes. Pastorales they are. They discuss Bion and Moschus, and read first Daphne and then Corydon. Ah! take a good dagger with you!"
"Sire," said Henry, "upon reflection"--
"What?"
"Your Majesty will see that I cannot join such an expedition. It seems to me it would be inconvenient to be there in person. I am too much interested in the affair to take any calm part in it. Your Majesty will avenge the honor of your sister on a c.o.xcomb who boasts of having calumniated my wife; nothing is simpler, and Marguerite, whom I hold to be innocent, sire, is in no way dishonored. But were I of the party, it would be a different thing. My co-operation would convert an act of justice into an act of revenge. It would no longer be an execution, but an a.s.sa.s.sination. My wife would no longer be calumniated, but guilty."
"By Heaven, Henry, as I said just now to my mother, you speak words of wisdom. You have a devilishly quick mind."
And Charles gazed complacently at his brother-in-law, who bowed in return for the compliment.
"Nevertheless," added Charles, "you are willing to be rid of this c.o.xcomb, are you not?"
"Everything your Majesty does is well done," replied the King of Navarre.
"Well, well, let me do your work for you. You may be sure it shall not be the worse for it."
"I leave it to you, sire," said Henry.
"At what time does he usually go to your wife"s room?"
"About nine o"clock."
"And he leaves?"
"Before I reach there, for I never see him."
"About"--
"About eleven."
"Very well. Come this evening at midnight. The deed will be done."
Charles pressed Henry"s hand cordially, and renewing his vows of friendship, left the apartment, whistling his favorite hunting-song.
"_Ventre saint gris!_" said the Bearnais, watching Charles, "either I am greatly mistaken, or the queen mother is responsible for all this deviltry. Truly, she does nothing but invent plots to make trouble between my wife and myself. Such a pleasant household!"
And Henry began to laugh as he was in the habit of laughing when no one could see or hear him.
About seven o"clock that evening a handsome young man, who had just taken a bath, was finishing his toilet as he calmly moved about his room, humming a little air, before a mirror in one of the rooms of the Louvre. Near him another young man was sleeping, or rather lying on a bed.
The one was our friend La Mole who, unconsciously, had been the object of so much discussion all day; the other was his companion Coconnas.
The great storm had pa.s.sed over him without his having heard the rumble of the thunder or seen the lightning. He had returned at three o"clock in the morning, had stayed in bed until three in the afternoon, half asleep, half awake, building castles on that uncertain sand called the future. Then he had risen, had spent an hour at a fashionable bath, had dined at Maitre La Huriere"s, and returning to the Louvre had set himself to finish his toilet before making his usual call on the queen.
"And you say you have dined?" asked Coconnas, yawning.
"Faith, yes, and I was hungry too."
"Why did you not take me with you, selfish man?"
"Faith, you were sleeping so soundly that I did not like to waken you.
But you shall sup with me instead. Be sure not to forget to ask Maitre La Huriere for some of that light wine from Anjou, which arrived a few days ago."
"Is it good?"
"I merely tell you to ask for it."
"Where are you going?"