CHAPTER XLII.
CONFIDENCES.
The first thing the Duc d'Anjou heard on arriving at the Louvre was thatthe formal reception of the ambassadors was arranged for the fifth dayfrom that. The tailors and the jewellers were waiting for the princewith magnificent clothes and superb jewels which the King had orderedfor him.
While the duke tried them on with an anger which brought the tears tohis eyes, Henry of Navarre was very gay in a magnificent collar ofemeralds, a sword with a gold handle, and a precious ring which Charleshad sent him that morning.
D'Alencon had just received a letter and had shut himself up in his ownroom to read it.
As to Coconnas, he was searching every corner of the Louvre for hisfriend.
In fact, as may easily be imagined, he had been somewhat surprised atnot seeing La Mole return that night, and by morning had begun to feelsome anxiety.
Consequently he had started out to find his friend. He began his searchat the Hotel de la Belle Etoile, went from there to the Rue ClochePercee, from the Rue Cloche Percee to the Rue Tizon, from there to thePont Saint Michel, and finally from the Pont Saint Michel to the Louvre.This search, so far as those who had been questioned were concerned, hadbeen carried on in a way so original and exacting (which may easily bebelieved when one realizes the eccentric character of Coconnas) that ithad caused some explanations between him and three courtiers. Theseexplanations had ended, as was the fashion of the times, on the ground.In these encounters Coconnas had been as conscientious as he usually wasin affairs of that kind, and had killed the first man and wounded thetwo others, saying:
"Poor La Mole, he knew Latin so well!"
The last victim, who was the Baron de Boissey, said as he fell:
"Oh, for the love of Heaven, Coconnas, do vary a little and at least saythat he knew Greek!"
At last the report of the adventure in the corridor leaked out. Coconnaswas heartbroken over it; for an instant he thought that all these kingsand princes had killed his friend and thrown him into some dungeon.
He learned that D'Alencon had been of the party; and overlooking themajesty which surrounded a prince of the blood, he went to him anddemanded an explanation as he would have done of a simple gentleman.
At first D'Alencon was inclined to thrust out of the door theimpertinent fellow who came and asked for an account of his actions. ButCoconnas spoke so curtly, his eyes flashed with such brightness, and theaffair of the three duels in less than twenty-four hours had raised thePiedmontese so high, that D'Alencon reflected, and instead of yieldingto his first inclination, he answered the gentleman with a charmingsmile:
"My dear Coconnas, it is true that the King was furious at receiving asilver bowl on his shoulder, that the Duc d'Anjou was vexed at being hiton the head by some orange marmalade, and the Duc de Guise humiliated athaving the breath knocked out of him by a haunch of venison, and so theywere all determined to kill Monsieur de la Mole. But a friend of yourfriend's turned aside the blow. The party therefore failed in theirattempt. I give you my word as prince."
"Ah!" said Coconnas, breathing as hard as a pair of bellows. "By Heaven,monseigneur, this is good news, and I should like to know this friend toshow him my gratitude."
Monsieur d'Alencon made no reply, but smiled more pleasantly than he hadyet done, implying to Coconnas that this friend was none other than theprince himself.
"Well, monseigneur!" said Coconnas, "since you have gone so far as totell me the beginning of the story, crown your kindness by finishing it.They tried to kill him, but failed, you say. Well, what happened then? Iam brave and can bear the news. Have they thrown him into some dungeon?So much the better. It will make him more careful in future. He neverwould listen to my advice; besides, we can get him out, by Heaven! Stonedoes not baffle every one."
D'Alencon shook his head.
"The worst of all this, my brave Coconnas," said he, "is that yourfriend disappeared after the affair, and no one knows where he went."
"By Heaven!" cried the Piedmontese, again growing pale, "had he gone tohell I should at least have known where he is."
"Listen," said D'Alencon, who, although for different reasons, was asanxious as Coconnas to know La Mole's whereabouts, "I will give you theadvice of a friend."
"Give it, my lord," said Coconnas, eagerly.
"Go to Queen Marguerite. She must know what has become of the friend youmourn."
"I will confess to your highness," said Coconnas, "that I had thought ofgoing to her, but I scarcely dared. Madame Marguerite has a way ofmaking me feel somewhat uncomfortable at times, and besides this, Ifeared that I might find her in tears. But since your highness assuresme that La Mole is not dead and that her majesty knows where he is Iwill take heart and go to her."
"Do so, my friend," said Francois. "And when you find out where La Moleis, let me know, for really I am as anxious as you are. But remember onething, Coconnas"--
"What?"
"Do not say you have come at my suggestion, for if you do you will learnnothing."
"Monseigneur," said Coconnas, "since your highness recommends secrecy onthis point, I shall be as silent as a tench or as the queen mother."
"What a kind, good, generous prince he is!" murmured Coconnas as he setout to find the Queen of Navarre.
Marguerite was expecting Coconnas, for the report of his despair hadreached her, and on hearing by what exploits his grief had showed itselfshe almost forgave him for his somewhat rude treatment of her friendMadame la Duchesse de Nevers, to whom he had not spoken for two orthree days, owing to some misunderstanding between them. Therefore assoon as he was announced to the queen he was admitted.
Coconnas entered the room, unable to overcome the constraint which hehad mentioned to D'Alencon, and which he had always felt in the presenceof the queen. It was caused more by her superior intellect than by herrank. But Marguerite received him with a smile which at once put him athis ease.
"Ah, madame," said he, "give me back my friend, I beg you, or at leasttell me what has become of him, for without him I cannot live. ImagineEuryalus without Nisus, Damon without Pythias, or Orestes withoutPylades, and pity my grief for the sake of one of the heroes I have justmentioned, whose heart, I swear, was no more tender than mine."
Marguerite smiled, and having made Coconnas promise not to reveal thesecret, she told him of La Mole's escape from the window. As to hishiding-place, insistent as were the prayers of the Piedmontese, shepreserved the strictest silence. This only half satisfied Coconnas, sohe resorted to diplomatic speeches of the highest order.
The result was that Marguerite saw clearly that the Duc d'Alencon waspartly the cause of the courtier's great desire to know what had becomeof La Mole.
"Well," said the queen, "if you must know something definite about yourfriend, ask King Henry of Navarre. He alone has the right to speak. Asto me, all I can tell you is that the friend for whom you are searchingis alive, and you may believe what I say."
"I believe one thing still more, madame," replied Coconnas; "that is,that your beautiful eyes have not wept."
Thereupon, thinking that there was nothing to add to a remark which hadthe double advantage of expressing his thought as well as the highopinion he had of La Mole, Coconnas withdrew, pondering on areconciliation with Madame de Nevers, not on her account, but in orderthat he might find out from her what he had been unable to learn fromMarguerite.
Deep griefs are abnormal conditions in which the mind shakes off theyoke as soon as possible. The thought of leaving Marguerite had at firstbroken La Mole's heart, and it was in order to save the reputation ofthe queen rather than to preserve his own life that he had consented torun away.
Therefore, the following evening he returned to Paris to see Margueritefrom her balcony. As if instinct told her of the young man's plan, thequeen spent the whole evening at her window. The result was that thelovers met again with the indescribable delight which accompaniesforbidden pleasures. More than this, the melancholy and romantictemperament of La M
ole found a certain charm in the situation. But a manreally in love is happy only for the time being, while he sees or iswith the woman he loves. After he has left her he suffers. Anxious tosee Marguerite again, La Mole set himself busily to work to bring aboutthe event which would make it possible for him to be with her; namely,the flight of the King of Navarre.
Marguerite on her part willingly gave herself up to the happiness ofbeing loved with so pure a devotion. Often she was angry with herselffor what she regarded as a weakness. Her strong mind despised thepoverty of ordinary love, insensible to the details which for tendersouls make it the sweetest, the most delicate, and the most desirable ofall pleasures. So she felt that the days, if not happily filled, were atleast happily ended. When, at about nine o'clock every evening, shestepped out on her balcony in a white dressing-gown, she perceived inthe darkness of the quay a horseman whose hand was raised first to hislips, then to his heart. Then a significant cough reminded the lover ofa cherished voice. Sometimes a note was thrown by a little hand, and inthe note was hidden some costly jewel, precious not on account of itsvalue, but because it had belonged to her who threw it; and this wouldfall on the pavement a few feet from the young man. Then La Mole wouldswoop down on it like a kite, press it to his heart, answer in the samevoice, while Marguerite stood at her balcony until the sound of thehorse's hoofs had died away in the darkness. The steed, ridden at fullspeed when coming, on leaving seemed as if made of material as lifelessas that of the famous horse which lost Troy.
This was why the queen was not anxious as to the fate of La Mole. Butfearing that he might be watched and followed she persistently refusedall interviews except these clandestine ones, which began immediatelyafter La Mole's flight and continued every evening until the time setfor the formal reception of the ambassadors, a reception which by theexpress orders of Ambroise Pare, as we have seen, was postponed forseveral days.
The evening before this reception, at about nine o'clock, when every onein the Louvre was engaged in preparations for the following day,Marguerite opened her window and stepped out upon her balcony. As shedid so, without waiting for her note, La Mole, in greater haste thanusual, threw his note which with his usual skill fell at the feet of hisroyal mistress.
Marguerite realized that the missive contained something special, andretired from the balcony to read it. The note consisted of two separatesheets.
On the first page were these words:
"_Madame, I must speak to the King of Navarre. The matter is urgent. Iwill wait._"
On the second page were these words:
"_My lady and my queen, arrange so that I may give you one of the kisses I now send you. I will wait._"
Marguerite had scarcely finished the second part of the letter when sheheard the voice of Henry of Navarre, who with his usual caution hadknocked on the outer door, and was asking Gillonne if he might enter.
The queen at once separated the letter, put one of the sheets in herrobe, the other in her pocket, hurriedly closed the window, and steppedto the door.
"Enter, sire," said she.
Notwithstanding the fact that Marguerite had been careful to close thewindow quickly and gently, the sound had reached Henry, whose acutesenses, in the midst of people he greatly mistrusted, had almostacquired the exquisite delicacy they attain in the savage. But the Kingof Navarre was not one of those tyrants who forbid their wives fromtaking the air and watching the stars.
Henry was as gracious and smiling as ever.
"Madame," said he, "while every one is rehearsing the coming ceremonial,I thought I would come and have a little talk with you about my affairs,which you still regard as yours, do you not?"
"Certainly, monsieur," replied Marguerite; "are not our interests oneand the same?"
"Yes, madame, and that is why I wanted to ask what you thought aboutMonsieur le Duc d'Alencon's avoiding me so for the last few days. Theday before yesterday he even went to Saint Germain. Does it not meaneither that he is planning to leave by himself, for he is watched verylittle, or that he is not going to leave at all? Give me your opinion,madame, if you please. I confess it will be a great relief to me to tellyou mine."
"Your majesty is right in being anxious at my brother's silence. I havebeen thinking about it all day, and my idea is that as circumstanceshave changed he has changed with them."
"You mean, do you not, that seeing King Charles ill and the Duc d'AnjouKing of Poland he would not be averse to staying in Paris to keep watchover the crown of France?"
"Exactly."
"Be it so. I ask nothing better than for him to remain," said Henry;"only that will change our entire plan. To leave without him I shallneed three times the guarantees I should have asked for had I gone withyour brother, whose name and presence in the enterprise would have beenmy safeguard. But what surprises me is that I have not heard fromMonsieur de Mouy. It is not like him to stay away so long. Have you hadany news of him, madame?"
"I, sire!" exclaimed Marguerite, in astonishment; "why, how could youexpect"--
"Why, by Heaven, my dear, nothing would be more natural. In order toplease me, you were kind enough to save the life of young La Mole,--hemust have reached Nantes,--and if one can get to a place he can easilyget away from it."
"Ah! this explains an enigma, the answer to which I could not make out,"said Marguerite. "I had left my window open, and found, on coming backto my room, a note on my floor."
"There now," said Henry.
"A note which at first I could not understand, and to which I attachedno importance whatsoever," continued Marguerite. "Perhaps I was wrong,and that it comes from that quarter."
"That is possible," said Henry; "I might even say probable. Might I seethis note?"
"Certainly, sire," replied Marguerite, handing to the king the missiveshe had put into her pocket. The king glanced at it.
"Is it not Monsieur de la Mole's handwriting?" said he.
"I do not know," replied Marguerite. "It looks to me like acounterfeit."
"No matter, let us read it." And he read:
"_Madame, I must speak to the King of Navarre. The matter is urgent. Iwill wait._"
"So!" said Henry--"you see, he says he will wait."
"Certainly I see that," said Marguerite. "But what would you expect?"
"Why! _ventre saint gris!_ I expect that he is waiting!"
"That he is waiting!" cried Marguerite, looking at her husband inastonishment. "How can you say such a thing, sire? A man whom the Kingtried to kill--a man who is watched, threatened--waiting, you say! Wouldthat be possible?--are the doors made for those who have been"--
"Obliged to escape by the window--you were going to say?"
"Yes, you have finished my sentence."
"Well, but if they know the way by the window, let them take it, sinceit is perfectly impossible for them to enter by the door. It is verysimple."
"Do you think so?" said Marguerite, flushing with pleasure at thethought of again being near La Mole.
"I am sure of it."
"But how could one reach the window?" asked the queen.
"Did you not keep the rope ladder I sent you? Where is your usualforesight?"
"Yes, sire, I kept it," said Marguerite.
"In that case there will be no difficulty," said Henry.
"What does your majesty wish?"
"Why, it is very simple," said Henry. "Fasten it to your balcony and letit hang down. If it is De Mouy who is waiting and he wants to mount it,he will do so."
Without losing his gravity Henry took the candle to aid Marguerite inher search for the ladder. They did not have to look long; it was in awardrobe in the famous closet.
"There it is," said Henry; "now, madame, if I am not asking too much,fasten it to the balcony, I beg you."
"Why should I fasten it and not you, sire?" said Marguerite.
"Because the best conspirators are the most careful. Seeing a man mightperhaps frighten away our friend, you see." Marguerite smiled and tiedthe ladder.
/> "There," said Henry, concealing himself in a corner of the room, "standso he can see you; now drop the ladder; good! I am sure that De Mouywill climb up."
In fact, about ten minutes later a man, mad with joy, stepped over thebalcony, but seeing that the queen did not come to him, he hesitated amoment. Instead of Marguerite it was Henry who stepped forward.
"Ah!" said he, graciously, "it is not De Mouy, but Monsieur de la Mole.Good evening, Monsieur de la Mole. Come in, I beg you."
La Mole paused a moment, overwhelmed. Had he still been on the ladderinstead of on the balcony he might possibly have fallen backward.
"You wanted to speak to the King of Navarre on matters of importance,"said Marguerite. "I have told him so and here he is."
Henry closed the window.
"I love you," said Marguerite, hastily pressing the young man's hand.
"Well, monsieur," said Henry, placing a chair for La Mole, "what is it?"
"This, sire," replied La Mole. "I have left Monsieur de Mouy at the citygates. He desires to know if Maurevel has spoken, and if his presence inyour majesty's room is known."
"Not yet, but it will be before long; so we must make haste."
"That is my opinion, sire, and if to-morrow evening Monsieur d'Alenconis ready to start, De Mouy will be at the Porte Saint Marcel with fivehundred men. These will take you to Fontainebleau. Then you can easilyreach Blois, Angouleme, and Bordeaux."
"Madame," said Henry, turning to his wife, "I can be ready by to-morrow;can you?"
La Mole's eyes were anxiously fixed on those of Marguerite.
"You have my promise," said the queen. "Wherever you go, I will follow.But you know Monsieur d'Alencon must leave at the same time. No half waywith him; either he serves us or he betrays us. If he hesitates we donot stir."
"Does he know anything of this plan, Monsieur de la Mole?" asked Henry.
"He should have received a letter from Monsieur de Mouy several daysago."
"Why," said Henry, "he said nothing to me about it!"
"Be careful, monsieur," said Marguerite, "be careful."
"I shall be on my guard, you may be sure. How can we get an answer to DeMouy?"
"Do not worry, sire. On the right, on the left, of your majesty, visibleor invisible, he will be on hand to-morrow during the reception of theambassadors. One word in the address of the queen will suffice for himto understand whether you consent or not, whether he must leave or waitfor you. If the Duc d'Alencon refuses, he asks but a fortnight toreorganize everything in your name."
"Really," said Henry, "De Mouy is invaluable. Can you insert thenecessary words in your address, madame?"
"Nothing will be easier," replied Marguerite.
"Then I will see Monsieur d'Alencon to-morrow," said Henry. "Let de Mouybe at his post ready to understand at a word."
"He will be there, sire."
"And, Monsieur de la Mole," said Henry, "take my answer to him. Youprobably have a horse or a servant near by?"
"Orthon is waiting for me at the quay."
"Go back to him, monsieur. Oh, no, not by the window, which is good onlyfor an emergency. You might be seen, and as it would not be known thatyou had taken this risk for me, it might compromise the queen."
"How shall I leave, sire?"
"Although you may not be able to enter the Louvre by yourself, you canat least leave it with me, for I have the password. You have your cloak,I have mine; we will put them on and can pass the gate withoutdifficulty. Besides, I shall be glad to give some special orders toOrthon. Wait here while I go and see if there is any one in thecorridor."
With the most natural air possible Henry went out to investigate. LaMole was left alone with the queen.
"Ah! when shall I see you again?" said he.
"To-morrow evening, if we leave. Otherwise some evening soon in the RueCloche Percee."
"Monsieur de la Mole," said Henry, returning, "you can come; there is noone here."
La Mole bowed respectfully to the queen.
"Give him your hand to kiss, madame," said Henry; "Monsieur de la Moleis no ordinary servitor."
Marguerite obeyed.
"By the way," said Henry, "be sure and keep the rope ladder. It is avaluable instrument for conspirators; and when we least expect it we mayneed it. Come, Monsieur de la Mole."