CHAPTER XXX.
MAUREVEL.
While all this careless, light-hearted youth, apparently so at least,was scattering like a gilded whirlwind along the road to Bondy,Catharine, still rolling up the precious parchment to which King Charleshad just affixed his signature, admitted into her room a man to whom, afew days before, her captain of the guards had carried a letter,addressed to Rue de la Cerisaie, near the Arsenal.
A broad silk band like a badge of mourning hid one of the man's eyes,showing only the other eye, two prominent cheek-bones, and the curve ofa vulture's nose, while a grayish beard covered the lower part of hisface. He wore a long thick cloak, beneath which one might have imagineda whole arsenal. Besides this, although it was not the custom of thosecalled to court, he wore at his side a long campaign sword, broad, andwith a double blade. One of his hands was hidden beneath his cloak, andnever left the handle of a long dagger.
"Ah! you here, monsieur?" said the queen seating herself; "you know thatI promised you after Saint Bartholomew, when you rendered us such signalservice, not to let you be idle. The opportunity has arisen, or rather Ihave made it. Thank me, therefore."
"Madame, I humbly thank your majesty," replied the man with the blackbandage, in a reserved voice at once low and insolent.
"A fine opportunity; you will not find another such in your whole life.Make the most of it, therefore."
"I am waiting, madame, only after the preamble, I fear"--
"That the commission may not be much? Are not those who wish to advancefond of such commissions? The one of which I speak would be envied bythe Tavannes and even by the De Guises."
"Ah! madame," said the man, "believe me, I am at your majesty's orders,whatever they may be."
"In that case, read," said Catharine.
She handed him the parchment. The man read it and grew pale.
"What!" he exclaimed, "an order to arrest the King of Navarre!"
"Well! what is there strange in that?"
"But a king, madame! Really, I think--I fear I am not of sufficientlyhigh rank."
"My confidence makes you the first gentleman of my court, Monsieur deMaurevel," said Catharine.
"I thank your majesty," said the assassin so moved that he seemed tohesitate.
"You will obey, then?"
"If your majesty orders it, is it not my duty?"
"Yes, I order it."
"Then I will obey."
"How shall you go to work?"
"Why, madame, I do not know, I should greatly like to be guided by yourmajesty."
"You fear noise?"
"I admit it."
"Take a dozen sure men, if necessary."
"I understand, of course, that your majesty will permit me to do thebest I can for myself, and I am grateful to you for this; but whereshall I arrest the King of Navarre?"
"Where would it best please you to arrest him?"
"In some place in which I should be warranted in doing so, if possible,even by his Majesty."
"Yes, I understand, in some royal palace; what do you say to the Louvre,for instance?"
"Oh, if your majesty would permit it, that would be a great favor."
"You will arrest him, then, in the Louvre."
"In what part?"
"In his own room."
Maurevel bowed.
"When, madame?"
"This evening, or rather to-night."
"Very well, madame. Now, will your majesty deign to inform me on onepoint?"
"On what point?"
"About the respect due to his position."
"Respect! position!" said Catharine, "why, then, you do not know,monsieur, that the King of France owes respect to no one in his kingdom,whoever he may be, recognizing no position as equal to his own?"
Maurevel bowed a second time.
"I insist on this point, however, madame, if your majesty will allowme."
"I will, monsieur."
"If the king contests the authenticity of the order, which is notprobable, but"--
"On the contrary, monsieur, he is sure to do so."
"He will contest it?"
"Without a doubt."
"And consequently he will refuse to obey it?"
"I fear so."
"And he will resist?"
"Probably."
"Ah! the devil!" said Maurevel; "and in that case"--
"In what case?" said Catharine, not moving her eyes from him.
"Why, in case he resists, what is to be done?"
"What do you do when you are given an order from the King, that is, whenyou represent the King, and when there is any resistance, Monsieur deMaurevel?"
"Why, madame," said the sbirro, "when I am honored with such an order,and when this order refers to a simple gentleman, I kill him."
"I told you, monsieur," said Catharine, "and I scarcely think thatsufficient time has elapsed for you to have forgotten it, that the Kingof France recognizes no position in his kingdom, and that after him thegreatest are simple gentlemen."
Maurevel grew pale, for he was beginning to comprehend.
"Oh! oh!" he cried, "kill the King of Navarre?"
"Why, who is speaking of killing him? Where is the order to kill him?The King wishes him taken to the Bastille, and the order containsnothing more. If he lets himself be arrested, very good; but as he willnot let himself be arrested, as he will resist, as he will endeavor tokill you"--
Maurevel grew paler.
"You will defend yourself," continued Catharine. "One cannot ask a braveman like you to let himself be killed without defending himself; and indefending yourself, what can you expect? You must let come what may. Youunderstand me, do you not?"
"Yes, madame; and yet"--
"Come, do you want me to write _dead or alive_ after the words _order toarrest_?"
"I confess, madame, that that would do away with my scruples."
"Well, it must be done, of course, since you do not think the order canbe carried out without it."
And Catharine shrugged her shoulders, unrolled the parchment with onehand, and wrote with the other: "_dead or alive_."
"Now," said she, "do you consider the order all right?"
"Yes, madame," replied Maurevel; "but I beg your majesty to leave thecarrying out of the entire affair to me."
"What have I said that will interfere with it?"
"Your majesty told me to take a dozen men."
"Yes, to make sure"--
"Well, I ask permission to take only six."
"Why so?"
"Because, madame, if anything happens to the prince, as it probablywill, it would be easy to excuse six men for having been afraid oflosing the prisoner, but no one would excuse a dozen guards for nothaving let half of their number be killed before laying hands onroyalty."
"Fine royalty, in truth, which has no kingdom."
"Madame," said Maurevel, "it is not the kingdom which makes the king: itis birth."
"Very well," said Catharine; "do as you please. Only I must warn youthat I do not wish you to leave the Louvre."
"But, madame, to get my men together?"
"Have you not a sort of sergeant whom you can charge with this duty?"
"I have my lackey, who not only is a faithful fellow, but who has evenoccasionally aided me in this sort of thing."
"Send for him, and confer with him. You know the chamber hung with theKing's arms, do you not? Well, your breakfast shall be served there; andfrom there you shall give your orders. The place will aid you to collectyour wits in case they are scattered. Then when my son returns from thehunt, you are to go into my oratory, and wait until the time comes."
"But how are we to get into the room? Probably the king suspectssomething, and he will shut himself up in it."
"I have a duplicate key to every door," said Catharine, "and the boltshave been removed from Henry's room. Adieu, Monsieur de Maurevel, for awhile. I will have you taken to the King's armory. Ah! by the way!remember that the order of a King must be carried out before
anythingelse. No excuse is admissible; a defeat, even a failure, wouldcompromise the honor of the King. It is a serious matter."
And Catharine, without giving Maurevel time to answer, called Monsieurde Nancey, the captain of the guards, and ordered him to conductMaurevel to the king's armory.
"My God!" exclaimed Maurevel as he followed his guide, "I have risen tothe hierarchy of assassination; from a simple gentleman to a captain,from a captain to an admiral, from an admiral to a king without a crown.Who knows if I shall not some day be a king with a crown!"