Part 67 (2/2)
”I? Why should it?” asked Henry. ”You know that I dote on a hunt, and that nothing could make me miss one.”
”But you will miss this one, Henry,” said the duke, after he had turned and spoken for an instant with some one unnoticed by Henry, who addressed Francois from the rear of the room, ”for his Majesty tells me that the hunt cannot take place.”
”Bah!” said Henry, in the most disappointed tone imaginable. ”Why not?”
”Very important letters from Monsieur de Nevers, it seems. There is a council among the King, the queen mother, and my brother the Duc d'Anjou.”
”Ah! ah!” said Henry to himself, ”could any news have come from Poland?”
Then aloud:
”In that case,” he continued, ”it is useless for me to run any further risk on this frost. Good-by, brother!”
Pulling up his horse in front of De Mouy:
”My friend,” said he, ”call one of your comrades to finish your sentinel duty for you. Help the groom ungirth my horse. Put the saddle over your head and carry it to the saddler's; there is some embroidery to be done on it, which there was not time to finish for to-day. You will bring an answer to my apartments.”
De Mouy hastened to obey, for the Duc d'Alencon had disappeared from his window, and it was evident that he suspected something.
In fact, scarcely had De Mouy disappeared through the gate before the Duc d'Alencon came in sight. A real Swiss was in De Mouy's place.
D'Alencon looked carefully at the new sentinel; then turning to Henry:
”This is not the man you were talking with just now, is it, brother?”
”The other is a young man who belongs to my household and whom I had enter the Swiss guards. I have just given him a commission and he has gone to carry it out.”
”Ah!” said the duke, as if this reply sufficed. ”And how is Marguerite?”
”I am going to ask her, brother.”
”Have you not seen her since yesterday?”
”No. I went to her about eleven o'clock last night, but Gillonne told me that she was tired and had gone to sleep.”
”You will not find her in her room. She has gone out.”
”Oh!” said Henry. ”Very likely. She was to go to the _Convent de l'Annonciade_.”
There was no way of carrying the conversation further, as Henry had seemingly made up his mind simply to answer. The two brothers-in-law therefore departed, the Duc d'Alencon to go for news, he said, the King of Navarre to return to his room.
Henry had been there scarcely five minutes when he heard a knock at the door.
”Who is it?” he asked.
”Sire,” replied a voice which Henry recognized as that of De Mouy, ”it is the answer from the saddler.”
Henry, visibly moved, bade the young man enter and closed the door behind him.
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