The duchess saluted the king and queen-mother respect fully, and then, inclining before the queen of Navarre"Will your majesty condescend to come into my litter?" Willingly, only you will have to take me back to the Louvre." 66 My litter, like my servants and myself, are at your majesty's orders." Queen Marguerite entered the litter, whilst Catherine and her gentlemen returned to the Louvre, and, during the route, she spoke incessantly to the king, pointing several times to madame de Sauve; and at each time the king laughed-as Charles IX. did laugh—that is, with a laugh more sinister than a threat. As to Marguerite, as soon as she felt the litter in motion, and had no longer to fear the searching gaze of Catherine, she quickly drew from her sleeve the note of Madame de Sauve, and read as follows: "I have received orders to send to-night to the king of Navarre two keys; one is that of the chamber in which he is shut up, and the other is the key of my chamber; when once in my apartment, I am enjoined to keep him there until six o'clock in the morning. "Let your majesty reflect-let your majesty decide. Let your majesty esteem my life as nothing." "and "There is now no doubt," murmured Marguerite; the poor woman is the tool of which they wish to make use to destroy us all. But we will see if the queen Margot, as my brother Charles calls me, is so easily to be made a nun of." "And what is that letter about?" inquired the duchess de Nevers. "Ah! duchess, I have so many things to say to you!" replied Marguerite, tearing the note into a thousand bits, and scattering them to the winds. 7 CHAPTER XII. MUTUAL CONFIDENCE. AND, first, where are we going?" asked Marguerite; "not to the Pont des Meuniers, I suppose-I have seen enough slaughter since yesterday." "I have taken the liberty to conduct your majesty "First and foremost, my majesty requests you to forget my majesty,-you were taking me "To the Hotel de Guise, unless you decide otherwise." "No, no, let us go there, Henriette; the duke and your husband are not there." "Oh, no!” cried the duchess, her bright eyes sparkling with joy; "no: neither my husband, my brother-in-law, nor any one else. I am free,-free as air-free as a bird; free, my queen! Do you understand the happiness there is in that word?-free! I come, I go, I command. Ah, poor queen, you are not free,—you sigh.' "You come, you go, you command. Is that all? Is that all the use of liberty?" "Your majesty promised me that you would begin our mutual confidence." 66 Again, 'your majesty!' I shall be angry soon, Henriette. Have you forgotten our agreement?” 66 No; your respectful servant in public-in private, your madcap confidante. Is it not so, Marguerite?" "Yes, yes," said the queen, smiling. "No family rivalry, no treachery in love; all fair and open. An offensive and defensive alliance, for the sole purpose of seeking, and, if we can, seizing, that ephemeral thing called happiness." "Just so, duchess. Let us again seal the compact with a Kiss." And the two beautiful women, the one so roscate, so fair, so animated, the other so pale, so full of melancholy, united their lips as they had united their thoughts. 'What is there new?" asked the duchess, fixing her eyes upon Marguerite. Everything is new since the last two days, is it not?" "Oh, I am speaking of love, not of politics. When we are as old as your mother, Catherine, we will think of politics, but at twenty, let us think of something else. Tell me, are you really married?” "To whom?" "Well, Henriette, that which reassures you, alarms me. Duchess, I must be married." "When?" 66 Oh, pauvre Marguerite! and is it essential. "Absolutely." "Mordi! as an acquaintance of mine says, this is very sad." "You know some one who says' Mordi?" asked Marguerite, with a smile. "Yes." "And who is this acquaintance?" "You ask questions instead of answering them. Finish your story, and then I will begin." "In two words, it is this. The king of Navarre is in love, and not with me; I am not in love, and certainly not with him; yet we must both of us change, or seem to change, before to-morrow." "Well, do you change, and he will soon do the same.” "That is quite impossible, for I am less than ever inclined to change." Only with respect to your husband, I hope." "Henriette, I have a scruple." "A scruple! about what?" "Of religion. Do you make any difference between huguenots and catholics?" "In politics?" "And in love?" "Ma chère! we women are such heathens, that we admit every kind of sect, and recognise many gods." "In one, eh?” "Yes," replied the duchess, her eyes sparkling: "he who is called Eros, Cupido, Amor. He who has a quiver on his back, wings on his shoulders, and a bandage over his eyes. Mordi, vive la devotion!" "You have a peculiar method of praying; you throw stones on the huguenots." "Let them talk. Ah, Marguerite! how the finest ideas, the noblest actions, are spoilt in passing through the mouths of the vulgar." "The vulgar! why, it was my brother Charles who congratulated you on your exploits." "Your brother Charles is a mighty hunter, who blows the horn all day, which makes him very thin. I reject his compliments; besides, I gave him his answer. Did you hear what I said?" "No; you spoke so low." "So much the better. I shall have more news to tell you. Now then, finish your story, Marguerite." "Why-why "Well." 66 'Why, in truth," said the queen, laughing, "if the stone my brother spoke of be a fact, I should not care to tell you my story at all." "Ah!" cried Henriette, "you have chosen a huguenot. Well, to re-assure your conscience, I promise you to choose one myself on the first opportunity." 66 Ah, you have chosen a catholic, then." "Mordi!" replied the duchess. "I see, I see. "And what is this huguenot of yours?" "I have not adopted him. He is nothing, and probably never will be anything to me." "But what sort is he? You can tell me that; you know how curious I am about these matters." "A poor young fellow, beautiful as Benvenuto Cellini's Nisus, and who took refuge in my apartment." "Oh, oh!-of course without any suggestion on your part?" "Do not laugh, Henriette; at this very moment, he is between life and death." "He is ill, then?" "He is dangerously wounded." "A wounded huguenot is very disagreeable, especially in these times; and what have you done with this wounded huguenot, who is not, and never will be, anything to you?" "He is hid in my cabinet; I would save him." "He is young, handsome, and wounded-you hide him, and wish to save him. He will be very ungrateful if he do not show himself very grateful." "He is already, I fear, more grateful than I could wish." "And this poor young man interests you?" "Only for humanity's sake." "Ah! humanity's precisely the virtue that undoes all us women." "Yes; and you see, the king, the duke d'Alençon, my mother, or even my husband, may at any moment enter the apartment 66 Ay, you want me to hide your huguenot, so long as he is ill, upon condition I send him back to you when he is cured?" "No," said Marguerite, "I do not look forward so far; but if you could conceal the poor fellow,—if you could preserve the life I have saved, I should be most grateful. You are free at the Hotel de Guise; you have no one to watch you; besides, behind your chamber there is a cabinet like mine, into which no one is entitled to enter; lend me this cabinet for my huguenot, and when he is cured, open the cage, and let the bird fly away." "There is only one difficulty, my dear; the cage is already occupied." 66 What, have you also saved somebody?" "That is exactly what I answered your brother with." "Ah, ah! that's why you spoke so low, that I could not hear you." "Listen, Marguerite: the story is no less poetical and romantic than yours. After I had left you six of my guards, I returned with the rest to the Hotel de Guise. I was looking at a house that was burning opposite, when I heard the voices of men swearing, and of women crying. I went out on the balcony, and saw, in the thickest of the fight, a complete hero-I like heroes-an Ajax-Telamon; I stood |