La Dame de Monsoreau (78 page)

" Through the window."

" You don't say so ! Through which one ? "

" A window in my bedroom."

« Why, then, you must have known about the rope-ladder ? "

" What rope-ladder ? "

" The one in the closet."

"Ah!" exclaimed the prince, turning pale; "so it would seem you knew about it ? "

" Why, surely, your highness must be aware I had sometimes had the good fortune to enter that chamber," said Bussy.

" In the time of my sister Margot, was it not ? And you were able to enter through the window ? "

" By my faith, it seems you were able to go out through it. The thing that puzzles me is how you managed to find the ladder."

" It was not I who found it."

"Who, then?"

" Nobody; I was told where to look for it."

« Who told you ? "

" The King of Navarre."

" Ah, indeed ! The King of Navarre knew of the ladder ?

x*

I should never have believed it. Well, well, monseigneur, the main point is that you are here, safe and sound, and in the best of health. We '11 have Anjou in a blaze in no time, and a spark from that same blaze will set Angoumois and Beam in a flame ; the whole thing will make a rather pretty conflagration."

" But did you not speak of an appointment ? " said the duke.

" Ah, morbleu ! yes ; but your conversation is so interesting it made me forget all about it. Adieu, monseigneur."

" Do you take your horse with you ?"

" Oh, no; if your highness find him useful, you may keep him. I have another."

"Then I accept; later on we '11 regulate our accounts."

" Very well, monseigneur, and God grant that I may not be again your debtor ! "

"Why? 77

" Because I do not like the man you usually charge with the auditing of your accounts."

" Bussy!"

" I beg your pardon, monseigneur ; it was agreed, I know, that we should no longer refer to the past."

The duke, who knew that Bussy was necessary to him, offered him his hand.

Bussy took it in silence, but shaking his head.

Then they separated.

CHAPTER LVII.

BUSSY returned home on foot in the middle of a foggy night, but, instead of Saint-Luc, whom he had expected, he found only a letter from his friend announcing his arrrival on the next day.

Accordingly, at about six the following morning, Saint-Luc, attended by a groom, started from Meridor and took his way to Angers.

He arrived on foot at the ramparts, just as the gates were opening, and, without noticing the strange excitement of the people at such an early hour, he went on to Bussy's lodgings. The two friends embraced cordially.

" Deign, my dear Saint-Luc," said Bussy, " to accept the

hospitality of my humble cabin. I am really camping at Angers."

" Yes," answered Saint-Luc, " after the fashion of conquerors, that is to say, on the field of battle."

" What do you mean, my dear friend ? "

" That my wife no more thinks of keeping a secret from me than I think of keeping one from her, and that she has told me all. Pray accept my congratulations ; and now, although I freely acknowledge you to be my superior in everything, still, since you have summoned me hither, I am going to take the liberty of giving you a bit of advice."

" Give it, by all means."

" Get rid of that abominable Monsoreau as speedily as you can : no one at court is aware of how you stand with his wife ; now is your time, and you must not let the opportunity slip. When you marry the widow, later on, no one will then be able to say you made her a widow to marry her."

" There is only one difficulty in the way of this fine plan, a plan that came into my head as well as yours."

" Ha ! So you thought of it, too ; but what is the obstacle ? "

" I promised Diane to respect the life of her husband — of course, only as long as he did not attack me."

"You were wrong."

" I ! "

" Terribly wrong."

"Why?"

" Because nobody ought to make such a promise. Now I am going to tell you something and you may take my word for it it's the truth. If you do not take time by the forelock and make short work of him, this is what will happen : Mori-soreau, who is a perfect master in mischief, will find out everything, and, when he does, as he is the very reverse of chivalrous, he will assassinate you."

" That will be as God pleases," said Bussy, smiling ; " but, apart from the fact that I should break my promise to Diane if I killed her husband "

" Her husband ! You know well he is no such thing."

" Yes, but that does not hinder him from being known as such. Apart, then, from the fact that I should break my promise to Diane, the whole world would fling stones at me, my dear fellow, and the man whom every one regards as a monster to-day would, as soon as he lay stretched 011 his bier,

be looked upon as a paragon sent to the tomb by my murderous hand."

" Oh, I did not mean to advise you to kill him yourself."

" Employ assassins! Ah, Saint-Luc, I did not expect such a sinister suggestion from you."

" Nonsense ! Who speaks of assassins ? "

" Then of what are you speaking ? "

" Oh, of nothing, my friend; just an idea that flashed through my mind; it is hardly worth while telling you about it at present. I have as little love for Monsoreau as you have, although I have not the same reason for detesting him — But let us leave the husband and talk of the wife."

Bussy smiled.

" You are a trusty comrade, Saint-Luc, and you may count on my friendship. Now, as you are already aware, my friendship is composed of three things: my purse, my sword, and my life."

" Thanks," answered Saint-Luc, " I accept, but only on condition that I may have my turn also."

" Now, what did you wish to say about Diane ? "

" I wished to ask if you are not coming to Meridor for an odd visit now and then."

" My dear friend, I thank you for your warm invitation, but you know my scruples."

" I know everything. At Meridor you fear to meet Monsoreau, although he is at present two hundred and forty miles away from us ; you fear to have to shake hands with him, and it is hard to have to shake hands with a man you want to strangle ; and, in short, you fear to see him embrace Diane, and it is hard to see the woman you love embraced by another."

" Ah ! " cried Bussy, furiously ; " how well you understand why I do not go to Meridor ! Now, my dear friend "

" You dismiss me," said Saint-Luc, misunderstanding Bussy's meaning.

" No, on the contrary, I request you to remain, for now it is my turn to ask questions."

" You may do so."

" Surely you must have heard last night the ringing of bells and the firing of musketoons ? "

" Yes, and we were wondering what it was all about."

" And did you notice no change when you passed through the city this morning ? "

" Quite a ripple of excitement among the people, was there not ? "

" Yes."

"I was just going to ask you the cause of it."

" The cause of it was the duke's arrival last night, my dear friend."

Saint-Luc gave a jump that showed he could not have been more surprised if he were told that the devil himself was in Angers.

? The duke in the city ! Why, we were told he was imprisoned in the Louvre."

" That is the very reason why he is now in Angers. He managed to escape through a window and has taken shelter here."

" What next ? " inquired Saint-Luc.

" What next ? " repeated Bussy. " Don't you see, my dear friend, what an excellent opportunity this affords you of getting even with the King for his petty persecutions. The prince has a party already, he will soon have an army, and we '11 soon have the train laid for a neat little civil war."

" Oh ! " exclaimed Saint-Luc.

" And I reckoned on you and me drawing our swords in company."

" Against the King ? " said Saint-Luc, with sudden coldness.

" Not exactly against the King," answered Bussy ; " against those who draw the sword against us."

" My dear Bussy," said Saint-Luc, " I came to Anjou for the country air, not to fight against his Majesty."

" But you will allow me to present you to his highness ? "

" Useless, my dear fellow; I am not fond of Angers, and I have been thinking of leaving it soon; it is a gloomy, tiresome sort of a place; the stones are as soft as cheeses, and the cheeses are as hard as stones."

" My dear Saint-Luc, you will do me a great service by consenting to yield to my request; the duke asked me what was my business in these quarters, and as I could not very well tell him, since he himself was something like a rejected lover of Diane, I have led him to believe my object in coming here was to gain the gentlemen of the district to his side; I even added that I had an appointment with one of them."

" Well, you can tell him the gentleman kept his appointment and requires six months for consideration."

" I see, my dear Saint-Luc, that you are, at least, as handy at chopping logic, if you will allow me to say so, as I am myself."

" Hear me, Bussy ; the only thing I set store by in the world is my wife; the only thing you set store by is your mistress. Now, let us make a bargain: I promise to defend Diane on every occasion ; you promise to defend Madame de Saint-Luc on every occasion. A treaty of love, if you like; a political treaty, never. Now you know the basis upon which we may work together."

" I see I must surrender, Saint-Luc," said Bussy, " for, at present, you have the advantage, — I need you, while you can do without me."

"Not at all. It is I, on the contrary, who must solicit your protection."

" Why so ? "

" Suppose the Angevines — for I fancy that is the name the rebels will assume — should besiege and sack Meridor ? "

" Ah! devil take me but you are right," said Bussy; " you would not care to have its tenants subjected to the consequences of a storming."

The two friends laughed. Then, as the firing of cannon in the city came to their ears, and as Bussy's valet came to inform him that the prince had already inquired for him three times, they swore anew to be faithful to their extra-political alliance, and parted with mutual regard.

Bussy ran to the ducal castle, now thronged with nobles from every part of the province. The news of the duke's arrival had spread like wildfire, and, in towns even ten or twelve miles from Angers, the intelligence had stirred up the people to something like an insurrection.

The count made haste to arrange an official reception, prepare a banquet, and make up speeches for the prince ; he was pretty sure to have time to see Diane, at least for a few moments, while Francois was receiving, eating, and, above all, haranguing. As soon, then, as he had cut out a few hours' work for the prince, he returned to his lodgings, mounted his second horse, and galloped to Meridor.

As for the duke, he delivered some very eloquent discourses : that on the League produced a marvellous effect; he touched discreetly on the points connected with his alliance with the Guises, giving himself out as a prince persecuted by the

King solely because the Parisians had the utmost confidence in him.

While apparently listening to the speeches made in reply to his, and afterward offering his hand to be kissed, he was really taking note of the gentlemen who were present, and especially of those who had not yet arrived.

When Bussy came back to the palace it was four in the afternoon; he jumped off his horse and appeared before the duke, covered with dust and perspiration.

"Aha!" said the duke; " evidently, my brave Bussy, you have been at work."

" You see for yourself, inonseigneur."

" You are in a terrible heat."

" I have had an awfully fast ride."

" Take care and don't fall sick ; you are not yet entirely recovered, perhaps."

" There ? s no danger."

" Where have you come from ? "

" From places round the city. Is your highness satisfied ? Has there been a numerous attendance at your reception ? "

" Yes, I am satisfied; but I noticed the absence of a certain individual at my reception, Bussy."

" Who was it ? "

" Your protege."

" My protege ? "

" Yes, the Baron de Meridor."

" Ah ! " said Bussy, changing color.

" And yet I must not neglect him, though he neglect me. The baron has great influence in the province."

« You think so ? "

" I am sure of it. He was the correspondent of the League at Angers ; he had been selected for this post by M. de Guise, and, as a rule, the Guises choose their men, well. He must come, Bussy."

" But if he do not come, monseigneur ? "

" If he do not, why, I must make the advances, on my side, and go to him."

" Go to Meridor ? "

« Why not ? "

Bussy was unable to restrain the jealous and threatening flash that leaped from his eyes.

" In fact, why not ? " said he ; " you are a prince, and everything is permissible in a prince."

" Ah ! I see — you think he is still angry with me ? "

" I do not know. How could I ? "

" You have not seen him, then ? "

« No."

" But if you have been trying to gain over the influential men of the province, you must surely have had something to do with him."

" Undoubtedly I should, if he had not had something to do with me."

" What do you mean ? "

" I mean I have not been so successful in fulfilling the promise I once made him to be in a great hurry to come into his presence."

" Has he not got what he wanted ? "

« How ? "

" He wanted the Comte de Monsoreau to marry his daughter, and Monsoreau has married her."