CHAPTER XXXIX.
PROJECTS OF REVENGE.
Henry took advantage of the respite afforded him by his well-sustainedexamination to go to Madame de Sauve's. He found Orthon completelyrecovered from his fainting-fit. But Orthon could tell him nothing,except that some men had broken into the king's rooms, that the leaderhad struck him with the handle of his sword, and that the blow hadstunned him. No one had troubled about Orthon. Catharine had seen thathe had fainted and had believed him to be dead.
As he had come to himself between the departure of the queen mother andthe arrival of the captain of the guards charged with clearing up theroom, he had taken refuge in Madame de Sauve's apartments.
Henry begged Charlotte to keep the young man until news came from DeMouy, who would not fail to write him from his hiding-place. Then hewould send Orthon to carry his answer to De Mouy, and instead of onedevoted man he could count on two. This decided on, he returned to hisrooms and began further to consider matters, walking up and down thewhile. Suddenly the door opened and the King appeared.
"Your Majesty!" cried Henry, rising to meet him.
"In person. Really, Henriot, you are a good fellow, and I love you moreand more."
"Sire," said Henry, "your Majesty overwhelms me."
"You have but one fault, Henriot."
"What is that? The one for which your Majesty has already reproached meseveral times?" said Henry. "My preferring to hunt animals rather thanbirds?"
"No, no, I am not referring to that, Henriot, I mean something else."
"If your Majesty will explain," said Henry, who saw from the smile onCharles's lips that the King was in a good humor, "I will try andcorrect it."
"It is this, that having such good eyes, you see no better than you do."
"Bah!" said Henry, "can I be short-sighted, then, sire, without knowingit?"
"Worse than that, Henry, worse than that, you are blind."
"Ah, indeed," said the Bearnais, "but is it not when I shut my eyes thatthis happens?"
"Well, yes!" said Charles, "you are perfectly capable of that. At allevents, I am going to open your eyes."
"God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. Your Majesty isthe representative of God on earth. Therefore you can do here what Goddoes in heaven. Proceed; I am all attention."
"When De Guise said last night that your wife had just passed escortedby a gallant you would not believe it."
"Sire," said Henry, "how could I believe that the sister of your Majestycould commit an act of such imprudence?"
"When he told you that your wife had gone to the Rue Cloche Percee, youwould not believe that either!"
"How was I to suppose, sire, that a daughter of France would thuspublicly risk her reputation?"
"When we besieged the house in the Rue Cloche Percee, and when I had asilver bowl hurled at my shoulder, D'Anjou some orange marmalade on hishead, and De Guise a haunch of venison in the face, you saw two womenand two men, did you not?"
"I saw nothing, sire. Does not your Majesty remember that I wasquestioning 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 oneof the women was Margot, and that one of the men was Monsieur de laMole."
"Well," said Henry, "if Monsieur de la Mole was in the Rue ClochePercee, he was not here."
"No," said Charles, "he was not here. But never mind who was here; weshall know this as soon as that imbecile of a Maurevel is able to speakor 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 areblind, the devil! will you believe me just once, stupid? I tell you thatMargot is deceiving you, and that this evening we are going to strangleher lover."
Henry gave a start of surprise, and looked at his brother-in-law inamazement.
"Confess, Henry, that at heart you are not sorry. Margot will cry outlike a thousand Niobes; but, faith! so much the worse. I do not want youto be made a fool of. If Conde is deceived by the Duc d'Anjou, I willwink; Conde is my enemy. But you are my brother; more than this, you aremy friend."
"But, sire"--
"And I do not want you to be annoyed, and made a fool of. You have beena quintain long enough for all these popinjays who come from theprovinces to gather our crumbs, and court our women. Let them come, orrather let them come again. By Heaven! you have been deceived,Henriot,--that might happen to any one,--but I swear, you shall haveshining satisfaction, and to-morrow they shall say: In the name of athousand 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 mostamusing manner."
"Is this really decided on, sire?" asked Henry.
"Decided on, determined on, arranged. The coxcomb will have no time toplead his cause. The expedition will consist of myself, D'Anjou,D'Alencon, and De Guise--a king, two sons of France, and a sovereignprince, 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 restof 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 goessometimes to your wife's apartments in the Louvre, sometimes to the RueCloche Percee. They compose verses together. I should like to see thestanzas that fop writes. Pastorales they are. They discuss Bion andMoschus, and read first Daphne and then Corydon. Ah! take a good daggerwith you!"
"Sire," said Henry, "upon reflection"--
"What?"
"Your Majesty will see that I cannot join such an expedition. It seemsto me it would be inconvenient to be there in person. I am too muchinterested in the affair to take any calm part in it. Your Majesty willavenge the honor of your sister on a coxcomb who boasts of havingcalumniated my wife; nothing is simpler, and Marguerite, whom I hold tobe innocent, sire, is in no way dishonored. But were I of the party, itwould be a different thing. My co-operation would convert an act ofjustice into an act of revenge. It would no longer be an execution, butan assassination. My wife would no longer be calumniated, but guilty."
"By Heaven, Henry, as I said just now to my mother, you speak words ofwisdom. You have a devilishly quick mind."
And Charles gazed complacently at his brother-in-law, who bowed inreturn for the compliment.
"Nevertheless," added Charles, "you are willing to be rid of thiscoxcomb, are you not?"
"Everything your Majesty does is well done," replied the King ofNavarre.
"Well, well, let me do your work for you. You may be sure it shall notbe 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 offriendship, left the apartment, whistling his favorite hunting-song.
"_Ventre saint gris!_" said the Bearnais, watching Charles, "either I amgreatly mistaken, or the queen mother is responsible for all thisdeviltry. Truly, she does nothing but invent plots to make troublebetween my wife and myself. Such a pleasant household!"
And Henry began to laugh as he was in the habit of laughing when no onecould see or hear him.
About seven o'clock that evening a handsome young man, who had justtaken a bath, was finishing his toilet as he calmly moved about hisroom, humming a little air, before a mirror in one of the rooms of theLouvre. Near him another young man was sleeping, or rather lying on abed.
The one
was our friend La Mole who, unconsciously, had been the objectof so much discussion all day; the other was his companion Coconnas.
The great storm had passed over him without his having heard the rumbleof the thunder or seen the lightning. He had returned at three o'clockin the morning, had stayed in bed until three in the afternoon, halfasleep, half awake, building castles on that uncertain sand called thefuture. Then he had risen, had spent an hour at a fashionable bath, haddined at Maitre La Huriere's, and returning to the Louvre had sethimself 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 MaitreLa Huriere for some of that light wine from Anjou, which arrived a fewdays ago."
"Is it good?"
"I merely tell you to ask for it."
"Where are you going?"
"Where am I going?" said La Mole, surprised that his friend should askhim such a question; "I am going to pay my respects to the queen."
"Well," said Coconnas, "if I were going to dine in our little house inthe Rue Cloche Percee, I should have what was left over from yesterday.There is a certain wine of Alicante which is most refreshing."
"It would be imprudent to go there, Annibal, my friend, after whatoccurred last night. Besides, did we not promise that we would not goback there alone? Hand me my cloak."
"That is so," said Coconnas, "I had forgotten. But where the devil isyour cloak? Ah! here it is."
"No, you have given me the black one, and it is the red one I want. Thequeen likes me better in that."
"Ah, faith," said Coconnas, searching everywhere, "look for yourself, Icannot find it."
"What!" said La Mole, "you cannot find it? Why, where can it be?"
"You probably sold it."
"Why, I have six crowns left."
"Well, take mine."
"Ah, yes,--a yellow cloak with a green doublet! I should look like apopinjay!"
"Faith, you are over-particular, so wear what you please."
Having tossed everything topsy-turvy in his search, La Mole wasbeginning to abuse the thieves who managed to enter even the Louvre,when a page from the Duc d'Alencon appeared bringing the precious cloakin question.
"Ah!" cried La Mole, "here it is at last!"
"Is this your cloak, monsieur?" said the page. "Yes; monseigneur sentfor it to decide a wager he made regarding its color."
"Oh!" said La Mole, "I asked for it only because I was going out, butif his highness desires to keep it longer"--
"No, Monsieur le Comte, he is through with it."
The page left. La Mole fastened his cloak.
"Well," he went on, "what have you decided to do?"
"I do not know."
"Shall I find you here this evening?"
"How can I tell?"
"Do you not know what you are going to do for two hours?"
"I know well enough what I shall do, but I do not know what I may beordered to do."
"By the Duchesse de Nevers?"
"No, by the Duc d'Alencon."
"As a matter of fact," said La Mole, "I have noticed for some time thathe has been friendly to you."
"Yes," said Coconnas.
"Then your fortune is made," said La Mole, laughing.
"Poof!" said Coconnas. "He is only a younger brother!"
"Oh!" said La Mole, "he is so anxious to become the elder one thatperhaps Heaven will work some miracle in his favor."
"So you do not know where you will be this evening?"
"No."
"Go to the devil, then,--I mean good-by!"
"That La Mole is a terrible fellow," thought Coconnas, "always wantingme to tell him where I am going to be! as if I knew. Besides, I believeI am sleepy." And he threw himself on the bed again.
La Mole betook himself to the apartments of the queen. In the corridorhe met the Duc d'Alencon.
"Ah! you here, Monsieur la Mole?" said the prince.
"Yes, my lord," replied La Mole, bowing respectfully.
"Are you going away from the Louvre?"
"No, your highness. I am on my way to pay my respects to her Majesty theQueen of Navarre."
"About what time shall you leave, Monsieur de la Mole?"
"Has monseigneur any orders for me?"
"No, not at present, but I shall want to speak to you this evening."
"About what time?"
"Between nine and ten."
"I shall do myself the honor of waiting on your highness at that time."
"Very good. I shall depend on you."
La Mole bowed and went on.
"There are times," said he, "when the duke is as pale as death. It isvery strange."
He knocked at the door of the queen's apartments. Gillonne, whoapparently was expecting him, led him to Marguerite.
The latter was occupied with some work which seemed to be wearying hergreatly. A paper covered with notes and a volume of Isocrates lay beforeher. She signed to La Mole to let her finish a paragraph. Then, in a fewmoments, she threw down her pen and invited the young man to sit besideher. La Mole was radiant. Never had he been so handsome or solight-hearted.
"Greek!" said he, glancing at the book. "A speech of Isocrates! What areyou doing with that? Ah! and Latin on this sheet of paper! _Ad Sarmatiaelegatos reginae Margaritae concio!_ So you are going to harangue thesebarbarians in Latin?"
"I must," said Marguerite, "since they do not speak French."
"But how can you write the answer before you have the speech?"
"A greater coquette than I would make you believe that this wasimpromptu; but I cannot deceive you, my Hyacinthe: I was told the speechin advance, and I am answering it."
"Are these ambassadors about to arrive?"
"Better still, they arrived this morning."
"Does any one know it?"
"They came incognito. Their formal arrival is planned for to-morrowafternoon, I believe, and you will see," said Marguerite, with a littlesatisfied air not wholly free from pedantry, "that what I have done thisevening is quite Ciceronian. But let us drop these important matters andspeak of what has happened to you."
"To me?"
"Yes."
"What has happened to me?"
"Ah! it is in vain you pretend to be brave, you look pale."
"Then it is from having slept too much. I am humbly sorry for it."
"Come, come, let us not play the braggart; I know everything."
"Have the kindness to inform me, then, my pearl, for I know nothing."
"Well, answer me frankly. What did the queen mother ask you?"
"Had she something to say to me?"
"What! Have you not seen her?"
"No."
"Nor King Charles?"
"No."
"Nor the King of Navarre?"
"No."
"But you have seen the Duc d'Alencon?"
"Yes, I met him just now in the corridor."
"What did he say to you?"
"That he had some orders to give me between nine and ten o'clock thisevening."
"Nothing else?"
"Nothing else."
"That is strange."
"But what is strange? Tell me."
"That nothing has been said to you."
"What has happened?"
"All day, unfortunately, you have been hanging over an abyss."
"I?"
"Yes, you."
"Why?"
"Well, listen. It seems that last night De Mouy was surprised in theapartments of the King of Navarre, who was to have been arrested. DeMouy killed three men, and escaped without anything about him havingbeen recognized except the famous red cloak."
"Well?"
"Well, this red cloak, which once deceived me, has thrown others besidesmysel
f off the track. You have been suspected and even accused of thistriple murder. This morning they wanted to arrest, judge, and perhapsconvict you. Who knows? For in order to save yourself you would not havetold where you were, would you?"
"Tell where I was?" cried La Mole; "compromise you, my beautiful queen?Oh! you are right. I should have died singing, to spare your sweet eyesone tear."
"Alas!" said Marguerite, "my sweet eyes would have been filled withmany, many tears."
"But what caused the great storm to subside?"
"Guess."
"How can I tell?"
"There was only one way to prove that you were not in the king's room."
"And that was"--
"To tell where you were."
"Well?"
"Well, I told."
"Whom did you tell?"
"My mother."
"And Queen Catharine"--
"Queen Catharine knows that I love you."
"Oh, madame! after having done so much for me, you can demand anythingfrom your servant. Ah, Marguerite, truly, what you did was noble andbeautiful. My life is yours, Marguerite."
"I hope so, for I have snatched it from those who wanted to take it fromme. But now you are saved."
"And by you!" cried the young man; "by my adored queen!"
At that instant a sharp noise made them start. La Mole sprang back,filled with a vague terror. Marguerite uttered a cry, and stood with hereyes riveted on the broken glass of one of the window-panes.
Through this window a stone the size of an egg had entered and lay onthe floor.
La Mole saw the broken pane, and realized the cause of the noise.
"Who dared to do this?" he cried, springing to the window.
"One moment," said Marguerite. "It seems to me that something is tiedaround the stone."
"Yes," said La Mole, "it looks like a piece of paper."
Marguerite went to the strange projectile and removed the thin sheetwhich, folded like a narrow band, encircled the middle of the stone.
The paper was attached to a cord, which came through the broken window.
Marguerite unfolded the letter and read.
"Unfortunate man!" she cried, holding out the paper to La Mole, whostood as pale and motionless as a statue of Terror.
With a heart filled with gloomy forebodings he read these words:
"_They are waiting for Monsieur de la Mole, with long swords, in thecorridor leading to the apartments of Monsieur d'Alencon. Perhaps hewould prefer to escape by this window and join Monsieur de Mouy atMantes_"--
"Well!" asked La Mole, after reading it, "are these swords longer thanmine?"
"No, but there may be ten against one."
"Who is the friend who has sent us this note?" asked La Mole.
Marguerite took it from the young man's hand and looked at itattentively.
"The King of Navarre's handwriting!" she cried. "If he warns us, thedanger is great. Flee, La Mole, flee, I beg you."
"How?" asked La Mole.
"By this window. Does not the note refer to it?"
"Command, my queen, and I will leap from the window to obey you, if Ibroke my head twenty times by the fall."
"Wait, wait," said Marguerite. "It seems to me that there is a weightattached to this cord."
"Let us see," said La Mole.
Both drew up the cord, and with indescribable joy saw a ladder of hairand silk at the end of it.
"Ah! you are saved," cried Marguerite.
"It is a miracle of heaven!"
"No, it is a gift from the King of Navarre."
"But suppose it were a snare?" said La Mole. "If this ladder were tobreak under me? Madame, did you not acknowledge your love for meto-day?"
Marguerite, whose joy had dissipated her grief, became ashy pale.
"You are right," said she, "that is possible."
She started to the door.
"What are you going to do?" cried La Mole.
"To find out if they are really waiting for you in the corridor."
"Never! never! For their anger to fall on you?"
"What can they do to a daughter of France? As a woman and a royalprincess I am doubly inviolable."
The queen uttered these words with so much dignity that La Moleunderstood she ran no risk, and that he must let her do as she wished.
Marguerite put La Mole under the protection of Gillonne, leaving to himto decide, according to circumstances, whether to run or await herreturn, and started down the corridor. A side hall led to the library aswell as to several reception-rooms, and at the end led to the apartmentsof the King, the queen mother, and to the small private stairway bywhich one reached the apartments of the Duc d'Alencon and Henry.Although it was scarcely nine o'clock, all the lights were extinguished,and the corridor, except for the dim glimmer which came from the sidehall, was quite dark. The Queen of Navarre advanced boldly. When she hadgone about a third of the distance she heard whispering which soundedmysterious and startling from an evident effort made to suppress it. Itceased almost instantly, as if by order from some superior, and silencewas restored. The light, dim as it was, seemed to grow less. Margueritewalked on directly into the face of the danger if danger there was. Toall appearances she was calm, although her clinched hands indicated aviolent nervous tension. As she approached, the intense silenceincreased, while a shadow like that of a hand obscured the wavering anduncertain light.
At the point where the transverse hall crossed the main corridor a mansprang in front of the queen, uncovered a red candlestick, and criedout:
"Here he is!"
Marguerite stood face to face with her brother Charles. Behind him, asilken cord in hand, was the Duc d'Alencon. At the rear, in thedarkness, stood two figures side by side, reflecting no light other thanthat of the drawn swords which they held in their hands. Marguerite saweverything at a glance. Making a supreme effort, she said smilingly toCharles:
"You mean, here _she_ is, sire!"
Charles recoiled. The others stood motionless.
"You, Margot!" said he. "Where are you going at this hour?"
"At this hour!" said Marguerite. "Is it so late?"
"I ask where you are going?"
"To find a book of Cicero's speeches, which I think I left at ourmother's."
"Without a light?"
"I supposed the corridor was lighted."
"Do you come from your own apartments?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing this evening?"
"Preparing my address for the Polish ambassadors. Is there not a councilto-morrow? and does not each one have to submit his address to yourMajesty?"
"Have you not some one helping you with this work?"
Marguerite summoned all her strength.
"Yes, brother," said she, "Monsieur de la Mole. He is very learned."
"So much so," said the Duc d'Alencon, "that I asked him when he hadfinished with you, sister, to come and help me, for I am not as cleveras you are."
"And were you waiting for him?" asked Marguerite as naturally aspossible.
"Yes," said D'Alencon, impatiently.
"Then," said Marguerite, "I will send him to you, brother, for we havefinished my work."
"But your book?" said Charles.
"I will have Gillonne get it."
The two brothers exchanged a sign.
"Go," said Charles, "and we will continue our round."
"Your round!" said Marguerite; "whom are you looking for?"
"The little red man," said Charles. "Do you not know that there is alittle red man who is said to haunt the old Louvre? My brother D'Alenconclaims to have seen him, and we are looking for him."
"Good luck to you," said Marguerite, and she turned round. Glancingbehind her, she saw the four figures gather close to the wall as if inconference. In an instant she had reached her own door.
"Open, Gillonne," said she, "open."
Gillonne obeyed.
Marguerite sprang into the room and found La Mole waiting for
her, calmand quiet, but with drawn sword.
"Flee," said she, "flee. Do not lose a second. They are waiting for youin the corridor to kill you."
"You command me to do this?" said La Mole.
"I command it. We must part in order to see each other again."
While Marguerite had been away La Mole had made sure of the ladder atthe window. He now stepped out, but before placing his foot on the firstround he tenderly kissed the queen's hand.
"If the ladder is a trap and I should perish, Marguerite, remember yourpromise."
"It was not a promise, La Mole, but an oath. Fear nothing. Adieu!"
And La Mole, thus encouraged, let himself slip down the ladder. At thesame instant there was a knock at the door.
Marguerite watched La Mole's perilous descent and did not turn away fromthe window until she was sure he had reached the ground in safety.
"Madame," said Gillonne, "madame!"
"Well?" asked Marguerite.
"The King is knocking at the door."
"Open it."
Gillonne did so.
The four princes, impatient at waiting, no doubt, stood on thethreshold.
Charles entered.
Marguerite came forward, a smile on her lips.
The King cast a rapid glance around.
"Whom are you looking for, brother?" asked Marguerite.
"Why," said Charles, "I am looking--I am looking--why, the devil! I amlooking for Monsieur de la Mole."
"Monsieur de la Mole!"
"Yes; where is he?"
Marguerite took her brother by the hand and led him to the window.
Just then two horsemen were seen galloping away, around the woodentower. One of them unfastened his white satin scarf and waved it in thedarkness, as a sign of adieu. The two men were La Mole and Orthon.
Marguerite pointed them out to Charles.
"Well!" said the King, "what does this mean?"
"It means," replied Marguerite, "that Monsieur le Duc d'Alencon may puthis cord back into his pocket, and that Messieurs d'Anjou and de Guisemay sheathe their swords, for Monsieur de la Mole will not pass throughthe corridor again to-night."