CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE GIRDLE OF THE QUEEN MOTHER.
Charles entered his room, smiling and joking. But after a conversationof ten minutes with his mother, one would have said that the latter hadgiven him her pallor and anger in exchange for the light-heartedness ofher son.
"Monsieur de la Mole," said Charles, "Monsieur de la Mole! Henry and theDuc d'Alencon must be sent for. Henry, because this young man was aHuguenot; the Duc d'Alencon, because he is in his service."
"Send for them if you wish, my son, but you will learn nothing. Henryand Francois, I fear, are much more closely bound together than onewould suppose from appearances. To question them is to suspect them. Ithink it would be better to wait for the slow but sure proof of time. Ifyou give the guilty ones time to breathe again, my son, if you let themthink they have escaped your vigilance, they will become bold andtriumphant, and will give you a better opportunity to punish them. Thenwe shall know everything."
Charles walked up and down, undecided, gnawing his anger, as a horsegnaws his bit, and pressing his clinched hand to his heart, which wasconsumed by his one idea.
"No, no," said he, at length; "I will not wait. You do not know what itis to wait, beset with suspicions as I am. Besides, every day thesecourtiers become more insolent. Even last night did not two of them dareto cope with us? If Monsieur de la Mole is innocent, very good; but Ishould not be sorry to know where Monsieur de la Mole was last night,while they were attacking my guards in the Louvre, and me in the RueCloche Percee. So let the Duc d'Alencon be sent for, and afterwardsHenry. I will question them separately. You may remain, mother."
Catharine sat down. For a determined spirit such as hers was, everyincident turned by her powerful hand would lead her to her goal,although it might seem to be leading away from it. From every blow therewould result noise and a spark. The noise would guide, the spark givelight.
The Duc d'Alencon entered. His previous conversation with Henry hadprepared him for this interview; therefore he was quite calm.
His replies were very exact. Warned by his mother to remain in his ownrooms, he was completely ignorant of the events of the night. But as hisapartments opened upon the same corridor as did those of the King ofNavarre, he had at first thought he heard a sound like that of a doorbeing broken in, then curses, then pistol-shots. Thereupon he hadventured to push his door partly open, and had seen a man in a red cloakrunning away.
Charles and his mother exchanged glances.
"In a red cloak?" said the King.
"In a red cloak," replied D'Alencon.
"And did you have any suspicions regarding this red cloak?"
D'Alencon rallied all his strength that he might lie as naturally aspossible.
"At first sight," said he, "I must confess to your Majesty that Ithought I recognized the red cloak of one of my gentlemen."
"What is the name of this gentleman?"
"Monsieur de la Mole."
"Why was not Monsieur de la Mole with you as his duty required him tobe?"
"I had given him leave of absence," said the duke.
"That is well; now you may go," said Charles.
The Duc d'Alencon started towards the door by which he had entered.
"Not that way," said Charles; "this way."
And he indicated the door opening into his nurse's room. Charles did notwant Francois and Henry to meet.
He did not know that they had already seen each other for an instant,and that this instant had sufficed for the two brothers-in-law to agreeon their plans.
At a sign from Charles, Henry entered.
He did not wait for Charles to question him, however.
"Sire," said he, "your Majesty has done well to send for me, for I wasjust coming to demand justice of you."
Charles frowned.
"Yes, justice," said Henry. "I will begin by thanking your Majesty forhaving taken me with you last night; for, by doing this, I now know thatyou saved my life. But what had I done that an attempt should be made toassassinate me?"
"Not to assassinate," said Catharine, quickly, "but to arrest you."
"Well," said Henry, "even so. What crime have I committed to meritarrest? If I am guilty I am as much so this morning as I was lastevening. Tell me my offence, sire."
Embarrassed as to what reply to make, Charles looked at his mother.
"My son," said Catharine, "you receive suspicious characters."
"Very good," said Henry, "and these suspicious characters compromise me;is that it, madame?"
"Yes, Henry."
"Give me their names! Give me their names! Who are they? Let me seethem!"
"Really," said Charles, "Henriot has the right to demand anexplanation."
"And I do demand it!" said Henry, realizing the superiority of hisposition and anxious to make the most of it. "I ask it from my goodbrother Charles, and from my good mother Catharine. Since my marriagewith Marguerite have I not been a kind husband? ask Marguerite. A goodCatholic? ask my confessor. A good relative? ask those who were at thehunt yesterday."
"Yes, that is true, Henriot," said the King; "but what can you do? Theyclaim that you conspire."
"Against whom?"
"Against me."
"Sire, if I had been conspiring against you, I had merely to let eventstake their course, when your horse broke his knee and could not rise, orwhen the furious boar turned on your Majesty."
"Well, the devil! mother, do you know that he is right?"
"But who was in your rooms last night?"
"Madame," said Henry, "in times when so few dare to answer forthemselves, I should never attempt to answer for others. I left my roomsat seven o'clock in the evening, at ten o'clock my brother Charles tookme away, and I spent the night with him. I could not be with yourMajesty and know what was going on in my rooms at the same time."
"But," said Catharine, "it is none the less true that one of your menkilled two of his Majesty's guards and wounded Monsieur de Maurevel."
"One of my men?" said Henry. "What man, madame? Name him."
"Every one accuses Monsieur de la Mole."
"Monsieur de la Mole is not in my suite, madame; Monsieur de la Molebelongs to Monsieur d'Alencon, to whom he was recommended by yourdaughter."
"But," said Charles, "was it Monsieur de la Mole who was in your rooms,Henriot?"
"How can you expect me to know, sire? I can say neither yes nor no.Monsieur de la Mole is an exceptional servant, thoroughly devoted to theQueen of Navarre. He often brings me messages, either from Marguerite,to whom he is grateful for having recommended him to Monsieur le Ducd'Alencon, or from Monsieur le Duc himself. I cannot say that it was notMonsieur de la Mole"--
"It was he," said Catharine. "His red cloak was recognized."
"Has Monsieur de la Mole a red cloak, then?"
"Yes."
"And the man who so cleverly disposed of two of my guards and Monsieurde Maurevel"--
"Had a red cloak?" asked Henry.
"Exactly," said Charles.
"I have nothing to say," said the Bearnais. "But in any case it seems tome that instead of summoning me here, since I was not in my rooms, it isMonsieur de la Mole, who, having been there, as you say, should bequestioned. But," said Henry, "I must observe one thing to yourMajesty."
"What is that?"
"This, that if I had seen an order signed by my King and had defendedmyself instead of obeying this order, I should be guilty and shoulddeserve all sorts of punishment; but it was not I but some stranger whomthis order in no way concerned. There was an attempt made to arrest himunjustly, he defended himself too well, perhaps, but he was in theright."
"And yet"--murmured Catharine.
"Madame," said Henry, "was the order to arrest me?"
"Yes," said Catharine, "and his Majesty himself signed it."
"Was it an order to arrest any one found in my place in case I was notthere?"
"No," said Catharine.
"Well!" said Henry, "unless you prove that I was cons
piring and that theman who was in my rooms was conspiring with me, this man is innocent."
Then turning to Charles IX.:
"Sire," continued Henry, "I shall not leave the Louvre. At a simple wordfrom your Majesty I shall even be ready to enter any state prison youmay be pleased to suggest. But while waiting for the proof to thecontrary I have the right to call myself and I do call myself the veryfaithful servant, subject, and brother of your Majesty."
And with a dignity hitherto unknown in him, Henry bowed to Charles andwithdrew.
"Bravo, Henriot!" said Charles, when the King of Navarre had left.
"Bravo! because he has defeated us?" said Catharine.
"Why should I not applaud? When we fence together and he touches me do Inot say 'bravo'? Mother, you are wrong to hate this boy as you do."
"My son," said Catharine, pressing the hand of Charles IX., "I do nothate him, I fear him."
"Well, you are wrong, mother. Henriot is my friend, and as he said, hadhe been conspiring against me he had only to let the wild boar alone."
"Yes," said Catharine, "so that Monsieur le Duc d'Anjou, his personalenemy, might be King of France."
"Mother, whatever Henriot's motive in saving my life, the fact is thathe saved it, and, the devil! I do not want any harm to come to him. Asto Monsieur de la Mole, well, I will talk about him with my brotherD'Alencon, to whom he belongs."
This was Charles IX.'s way of dismissing his mother, who withdrewendeavoring to fix her suspicions. On account of his unimportance,Monsieur de la Mole did not answer to her needs.
Returning to her rooms, Catharine found Marguerite waiting for her.
"Ah! ah!" said she, "is it you, my daughter? I sent for you lastevening."
"I know it, madame, but I had gone out."
"And this morning?"
"This morning, madame, I have come to tell your majesty that you areabout to do a great wrong."
"What is that?"
"You are going to have Monsieur le Comte de la Mole arrested."
"You are mistaken, my daughter, I am going to have no one arrested. Itis the King, not I, who gives orders for arrests."
"Let us not quibble over the words, madame, when the circumstances areserious. Monsieur de la Mole is going to be arrested, is he not?"
"Very likely."
"Accused of having been found in the chamber of the King of Navarre lastnight, and of having killed two guards and wounded Monsieur deMaurevel?"
"Such indeed is the crime they impute to him."
"They impute it to him wrongly, madame," said Marguerite; "Monsieur dela Mole is not guilty."
"Monsieur de la Mole not guilty!" said Catharine, giving a start of joy,and thinking that what Marguerite was about to tell her would throwlight on the subject.
"No," went on Marguerite, "he is not guilty, he cannot be so, for he wasnot in the king's room."
"Where was he, then?"
"In my room, madame."
"In your room?"
"Yes, in my room."
At this avowal from a daughter of France, Catharine felt like hurling awithering glance at Marguerite, but she merely crossed her arms on herlap.
"And," said she after a moment's silence, "if Monsieur de la Mole isarrested and questioned"--
"He will say where he was and with whom he was, mother," repliedMarguerite, although she felt sure of the contrary.
"Since this is so, you are right, my daughter; Monsieur de la Mole mustnot be arrested."
Marguerite shivered. It seemed to her that there was something strangeand terrible in the way her mother uttered these words; but she hadnothing to say, for what she had come to ask for had been granted her.
"But," said Catharine, "if it was not Monsieur de la Mole who was in theking's room, it was some one else!"
Marguerite was silent.
"Do you know who it was, my daughter?" said Catharine.
"No, mother," said Marguerite, in an unsteady voice.
"Come, do not be half confidential."
"I repeat, madame, that I do not know," replied Marguerite again,growing pale in spite of herself.
"Well, well," said Catharine, carelessly, "we shall find out. Go now, mydaughter. You may rest assured that your mother will watch over yourhonor."
Marguerite went out.
"Ah!" murmured Catharine, "they are in league. Henry and Marguerite areworking together. While the wife is silent, the husband is blind. Ah,you are very clever, my children, and you think yourselves very strong.But your strength is in your union and I will break you, one after theother. Besides, the day will come when Maurevel can speak or write,utter a name, or spell six letters, and then we shall know everything.Yes, but in the meantime the guilty shall be in safe-keeping. The bestthing to do would be to separate them at once."
Thereupon Catharine set out for the apartments of her son, whom shefound holding a conference with D'Alencon.
"Ah! ah!" exclaimed Charles IX., frowning, "is it you, mother?"
"Why did you not say '_again_'? The word was in your mind, Charles."
"What is in my mind belongs to me, madame," said the King, in the roughtone he sometimes used even when speaking to Catharine. "What do youwant of me? Tell me quickly."
"Well, you were right, my son," said Catharine to Charles, "and you,D'Alencon, were wrong."
"In what respect, madame?" asked both princes.
"It was not Monsieur de la Mole who was in the apartments of the King ofNavarre."
"Ah! ah!" cried Francois, growing pale.
"Who was it, then?" asked Charles.
"We do not know yet, but we shall know when Maurevel is able to speak.So let us drop the subject, which will soon be explained, and return toMonsieur de la Mole."
"Well, what do you want of Monsieur de la Mole, mother, since he was notin the rooms of the King of Navarre?"
"No," said Catharine, "he was not there, but he was with--the queen."
"With the queen!" cried Charles, bursting into a nervous laugh.
"With the queen," murmured D'Alencon, turning as pale as death.
"No, no," said Charles, "De Guise told me he had met Marguerite'slitter."
"Yes," said Catharine, "she has a house in town."
"In the Rue Cloche Percee!" cried the King.
"Oh! oh! this is too much," said D'Alencon, driving his nails into hisbreast. "And to have had him recommended to me!"
"Ah! now that I think of it!" said the King, stopping suddenly, "it washe who defended himself against us last night, and who hurled the silverbowl at my head, the wretch!"
"Oh, yes!" repeated Francois, "the wretch!"
"You are right, my children," said Catharine, without appearing tounderstand the feelings which incited both of her sons to speak. "Youare right, for a single indiscreet act of this gentleman might cause ahorrible scandal, and ruin a daughter of France. One moment of madnesswould be enough for that."
"Or of vanity," said Francois.
"No doubt, no doubt," said Charles. "And yet we cannot bring the caseinto court unless Henriot consents to appear as plaintiff."
"My son," said Catharine, placing her hand on Charles's shoulder in sucha way as to call the King's attention to what she was about to propose,"listen to what I say. A crime has been committed, and there may bescandal. But this sort of offence to royalty is not punished by judgesand hangmen. If you were simple gentlemen, I should have nothing to sayto you, for you are both brave, but you are princes, you cannot crossswords with mere country squires. Think how you can avenge yourselves asprinces."
"The devil!" cried Charles, "you are right, mother, and I will considerit."
"I will help you, brother," cried Francois.
"And I," said Catharine, unfastening the black silk girdle which waswound three times about her waist, and the two tassels of which fell toher knees. "I will retire, but I leave you this to represent me."
And she threw the girdle at the feet of the two princes.
"Ah! ah!" said Charles, "I und
erstand."
"This girdle"--said D'Alencon, picking it up.
"Is punishment and silence," said Catharine, victorious; "but," sheadded, "there would be no harm in mentioning this to Henry."
She withdrew.
"By Heaven!" said D'Alencon; "a good idea, and when Henry knows that hiswife has betrayed him--So," he added, turning to the King, "you willadopt our mother's suggestion?"
"In every detail," said Charles, not doubting but that he would drive athousand daggers into D'Alencon's heart. "This will annoy Marguerite,but it will delight Henriot."
Then, calling one of his guards, he ordered Henry summoned, but thinkingbetter of it:
"No, no," said he, "I will go for him myself. Do you, D'Alencon, informD'Anjou and De Guise."
Leaving his apartments, he ascended the private stairway to the secondfloor, which led to Henry's chamber.