CHAPTER XXXVIII.
CASTOR AND POLLUX.
The king dismissed all his favorites, and remained with his brother.The duke, who had managed to preserve a tolerably composedcountenance throughout, believed himself unsuspected, and remainedwithout fear.
"My brother," said Henri, after assuring himself that, with theexception of Chicot, no one remained in the room, "do you knowthat I am a very happy prince?"
"Sire, if your majesty be really happy, it is a recompense fromHeaven for your merits."
"Yes, happy," continued the king, "for if great ideas do notcome to me, they do to my subjects. It is a great idea which hasoccurred to my cousin Guise."
The duke make a sign of assent, and Chicot opened his eyes towatch the king's face.
"Indeed," continued Henri, "to unite under one banner all theCatholics, to arm all France on this pretext from Calais toLanguedoc, from Bretagne to Burgundy, so that I shall alwayshave an army ready to march against England, Holland, or Spain,without alarming any of them--do you know, Francois, it is amagnificent idea?"
"Is it not, sire?" said the duke, delighted.
"Yes, I confess I feel tempted to reward largely the author ofthis fine project."
Chicot opened his eyes, but he shut them again, for he had seenon the face of the king one of his almost imperceptible smiles,and he was satisfied.
"Yes," continued Henri, "I repeat such a project merits recompense,and I will do what I can for the author of this good work, forthe work is begun--is it not, my brother?"
The duke confessed that it was.
"Better and better; my subjects not only conceive these goodideas, but, in their anxiety to be of use to me, hasten to putthem in execution. But I ask you, my dear Francois, if it bereally to the Duc de Guise that I am indebted for this royalthought?"
"No, sire, it occurred to the Cardinal de Lorraine twenty yearsago, only the St. Bartholomew rendered it needless for the time."
"Ah! what a pity he is dead; but," continued Henri, with thatair of frankness which made him the first comedian of the day,"his nephew has inherited it, and brought it to bear. What canI do for him?"
"Sire," said Francois, completely duped by his brother, "youexaggerate his merits. He has, as I say, but inherited the idea,and another man has given him great help in developing it."
"His brother the cardinal?"
"Doubtless he has been occupied with it, but I do not mean him."
"Mayenne, then?"
"Oh! sire, you do him too much honor."
"True, how could any good ideas come to such a butcher? But towhom, then, am I to be grateful for aid to my cousin Guise?"
"To me, sire."
"To you!" cried Henri, as if in astonishment. "How! when I sawall the world unchained against me, the preachers against myvices, the poets against my weaknesses, while my friends laughedat my powerlessness, and my situation was so harassing, thatit gave me gray hairs every day: such an idea came to you,Francois--to you, whom I confess, for man is feeble and kings areblind, I did not always believe to be my friend! Ah! Francois,how guilty I have been." And Henri, moved even to tears, heldout his hand to his brother.
Chicot opened his eyes again.
"Oh!" continued Henri, "the idea is triumphant. Not being ableto raise troops without raising an outcry, scarcely to walk,sleep, or love, without exciting ridicule, this idea gives meat once an army, money, friends, and repose. But my cousin spakeof a chief?"
"Yes, doubtless."
"This chief, you understand, Francois, cannot be one of my favorites;none of them has at once the head and the heart necessary forso important a post. Quelus is brave, but is occupied only byhis amours. Maugiron is also brave, but he thinks only of histoilette. Schomberg also, but he is not clever. D'Epernon isa valiant man, but he is a hypocrite, whom I could not trust,although I am friendly to him. But you know, Francois, that oneof the heaviest taxes on a king is the necessity of dissimulation;therefore, when I can speak freely from my heart, as I do now,I breathe. Well, then, if my cousin Guise originated this idea,to the development of which you have assisted, the executionof it belongs to him."
"What do you say, sire?" said Francois, uneasily.
"I say, that to direct such a movement we must have a prince ofhigh rank."
"Sire, take care."
"A good captain and a skilful negotiator."
"The last particularly."
"Well, is not M. de Guise all this?"
"My brother, he is very powerful already."
"Yes, doubtless; but his power makes my strength."
"He holds already the army and the bourgeois; the cardinal holdsthe Church, and Mayenne is their instrument; it is a great dealof power to be concentrated in one family."
"It is true, Francois; I had thought of that."
"If the Guises were French princes, their interest would be toaggrandize France."
"Yes, but they are Lorraines."
"Of a house always rival to yours."
"Yes, Francois; you have touched the sore. I did not think youso good a politician. Yes, there does not pass a day but one orother of these Guises, either by address or by force, carriesaway from me some particle of my power. Ah! Francois, if we hadbut had this explanation sooner, if I had been able to read yourheart as I do now, certain of support in you, I might have resistedbetter, but now it is too late."
"Why so?"
"Because all combats fatigue me; therefore I must make him chiefof the League."
"You will be wrong, brother."
"But who could I name, Francois? who would accept this perilouspost? Yes, perilous; for do you not see that he intended me toappoint him chief, and that, should I name any one else to thepost, he would treat him as an enemy?"
"Name some one so powerful that, supported by you, he need notfear all the three Lorraine princes together."
"Ah, my good brother, I know no such person."
"Look round you, brother."
"I know no one but you and Chicot who are really my friends."
"Well, brother."
Henri looked at the duke as if a veil had fallen from his eyes."Surely you would never consent, brother! It is not you who couldteach all these bourgeois their exercise, who could look overthe discourses of the preachers, who, in case of battle, wouldplay the butcher in the streets of Paris; for all this, one mustbe triple, like the duke, and have a right arm called Charlesand a left called Louis. What! you would like all this? You, thefirst gentleman of our court! Mort de ma vie! how people changewith the age!"
"Perhaps I would not do it for myself, brother, but I would doit for you."
"Excellent brother!" said Henri, wiping away a tear which neverexisted.
"Then," said the duke, "it would not displease you for me to assumethis post?"
"Displease me! On the contrary, it would charm me."
Francois trembled with joy. "Oh! if your majesty thinks me worthyof this confidence."
"Confidence! When you are the chief, what have I to fear? TheLeague itself? That cannot be dangerous can it, Francois?"
"Oh, sire?"
"No, for then you would not be chief, or at least, when you arechief, there will be no danger. But, Francois, the duke is doubtlesscertain of this appointment, and he will not lightly give way."
"Sire, you grant me the command?"
"Certainly."
"And you wish me to have it?"
"Particularly; but I dare not too much displease M. de Guise."
"Oh, make yourself easy, sire; if that be the only obstacle, Ipledge myself to arrange it."
"When?"
"At once."
"Are you going to him? That will be doing him too much honor."
"No, sire; he is waiting for me."
"Where?"
"In my room."
"Your room! I heard the cries of the people as he left the Louvre."
"Yes; but after going out at the great door he came back by thepostern. The king had the right to the first visit, bu
t I tothe second."
"Ah, brother, I thank you for keeping up our prerogative, whichI had the weakness so often to abandon. Go, then, Francois, anddo your best."
Francois bent down to kiss the king's hand, but he, opening hisarms, gave him a warm embrace, and then the duke left the roomto go to his interview with the Duc de Guise. The king, seeinghis brother gone, gave an angry growl, and rapidly made his waythrough the secret corridor, until he reached a hiding-placewhence he could distinctly hear the conversation between the twodukes.
"Ventre de biche!" cried Chicot, starting up, "how touching thesefamily scenes are! For an instant I believed myself in Olympus,assisting at the reunion of Castor and Pollux after six months'separation."