Volume II Part 19 (1/2)
”I was not consulted upon the subject, Monseigneur,” replied the Keeper of the Seals; ”nor shall it be my fault if so grievous an error be not speedily redeemed. The more brief the folly the better the result.”
This imprudent retort was destined to seal the disgrace of the upright minister without serving the Prince, who, seeing that he had nothing to antic.i.p.ate from any demonstration on the part of the a.s.sembled n.o.bles, haughtily desired his captor to conduct him to his allotted prison.[252]
”And when you have done so,” he added in a firm voice, as he swept the apartment with an eye as bright and as steady as though he had not stood there unarmed and a captive, ”you may tell the Queen-mother that she has antic.i.p.ated me only by three days, for had she waited beyond that time, the King would no longer have had a crown upon his head.” [253]
The Prince was then conducted by a back staircase to an upper chamber strongly barred, where he remained guarded by M. de Themines until he was conveyed to the Bastille.
The exultation of Marie de Medicis was at its height. She embraced her son as fervently as though by the imprudence of which she had just been guilty she had ensured the security of his throne, and received the congratulations of the courtiers with undisguised delight. ”See, Sire,”
she exclaimed, as with one hand resting upon the shoulder of the young King she advanced to the centre of the great hall, ”here is our brave M.
de Themines, to whom we are so greatly indebted. Can you not offer him a royal recompense? He is not yet a Marshal of France.”
”I salute you, M. le Marechal,” said Louis with regal gravity. ”In an hour I will sign your brevet.”
M. de Themines bowed low, and kissed the hand of the King.
”And I,” smiled Marie de Medicis, ”present you with a hundred thousand crowns. Your elder son the Marquis de Themines is henceforth captain of my bodyguard, and your younger the Baron de Lauziere equerry of Monsieur.”
Again the captor of M. de Conde bent low and uttered his acknowledgments.
Low murmurs were heard among the n.o.bles.
”Advance, M. de Montigny,” continued Marie, turning graciously towards an individual who had only just reached the capital, having on his way provided the Duc de Vendome with a relay of horses in order to facilitate his escape. ”Sire, the Comte de Montigny was a faithful and devoted follower of your father. You owe him also some mark of favour.”
”M. de Montigny shall be a marshal,” said Louis XIII, delighted with his new and unchecked exhibition of power.
”It would appear that to ask a _baton_ is to have one on this occasion,”
said M. de Saint-Geran[254] in a low voice to the Marquis de Crequy; ”let us therefore put in our claim.”
”With all my heart,” replied the Marquis gaily. ”The ladies do not refuse us their smiles, nor the Queen-mother the festivities in her honour by which we impoverish our estates; why, therefore, should the King deprive us of our share of the easily-won distinctions of the day?”
So saying, the two courtiers moved a pace nearer to Marie de Medicis, who did not fail to observe and to comprehend the action.
”Happy is the monarch who sees himself surrounded by loyal subjects and by faithful friends,” pursued the exulting Princess; ”your Majesty has not yet completed the good work so royally commenced?”
”M. de Crequy has already a _baton_,” said Louis, somewhat bewildered by the new part he was called upon to enact on so large a scale.
”But you have forgotten, Sire, that he is neither duke nor peer.”
”I salute you, M. le Duc et Pair,” said the young King.
The Marquis acknowledged his new honours, and made way for his companion.
”Our list of marshals is full, M. de Saint-Geran,” said Louis coldly.
The disappointed courtier bowed, and was about to retire, when Marie de Medicis met his eye, and its expression was far from satisfactory.
”MM. de Praslin and de Saint-Geran have both, nevertheless, merited high distinction, Sire,” she said anxiously. ”Your pledge for the future will suffice, however, as they are both young enough to wait.”
”Be it so, Madame,” rejoined her son, who was becoming weary of the rapacity of his loyal subjects and faithful friends. ”Gentlemen, your services shall not be forgotten on the next vacancy.”
And thus, as Ba.s.sompierre has recorded, did M. de Saint-Geran ”extort the promise” of a _baton_.
”And you, M. de Ba.s.sompierre,” exclaimed the Queen-mother, as in advancing up the hall their Majesties found themselves beside him, ”unlike the others, you have put in no claim.”