Part 117 (1/2)

Then turning to Rene:

”Thanks,” said the young man, disguising his voice, ”thanks; take this purse.”

”Come, _count_,” said Catharine, intentionally giving her son this t.i.tle to throw Rene off the track.

They left.

”Oh, mother, you see,” said Henry, ”an accident--and if an accident should happen, I shall not be on hand; I shall be four hundred leagues from you”--

”Four hundred leagues are accomplished in eight days, my son.”

”Yes; but how do I know whether those Poles will let me come back? If I could only wait, mother!”

”Who knows?” said Catharine; ”might not this accident of which Rene speaks be the one which since yesterday has laid the King on a bed of pain? Listen, return by yourself, my child. I shall go back by the private door of the monastery of the Augustines. My suite is waiting for me in this convent. Go, now, Henry, go, and keep from irritating your brother in case you see him.”

CHAPTER XLII.

CONFIDENCES.

The first thing the Duc d'Anjou heard on arriving at the Louvre was that the formal reception of the amba.s.sadors was arranged for the fifth day from that. The tailors and the jewellers were waiting for the prince with magnificent clothes and superb jewels which the King had ordered for him.

While the duke tried them on with an anger which brought the tears to his eyes, Henry of Navarre was very gay in a magnificent collar of emeralds, a sword with a gold handle, and a precious ring which Charles had sent him that morning.

D'Alencon had just received a letter and had shut himself up in his own room to read it.

As to Coconnas, he was searching every corner of the Louvre for his friend.

In fact, as may easily be imagined, he had been somewhat surprised at not seeing La Mole return that night, and by morning had begun to feel some anxiety.

Consequently he had started out to find his friend. He began his search at the Hotel de la Belle etoile, went from there to the Rue Cloche Percee, from the Rue Cloche Percee to the Rue Tizon, from there to the Pont Saint Michel, and finally from the Pont Saint Michel to the Louvre.

This search, so far as those who had been questioned were concerned, had been carried on in a way so original and exacting (which may easily be believed when one realizes the eccentric character of Coconnas) that it had caused some explanations between him and three courtiers. These explanations had ended, as was the fas.h.i.+on of the times, on the ground.

In these encounters Coconnas had been as conscientious as he usually was in affairs of that kind, and had killed the first man and wounded the two 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 say that he knew Greek!”

At last the report of the adventure in the corridor leaked out. Coconnas was heartbroken over it; for an instant he thought that all these kings and princes had killed his friend and thrown him into some dungeon.

He learned that D'Alencon had been of the party; and overlooking the majesty which surrounded a prince of the blood, he went to him and demanded an explanation as he would have done of a simple gentleman.

At first D'Alencon was inclined to thrust out of the door the impertinent fellow who came and asked for an account of his actions. But Coconnas spoke so curtly, his eyes flashed with such brightness, and the affair of the three duels in less than twenty-four hours had raised the Piedmontese so high, that D'Alencon reflected, and instead of yielding to his first inclination, he answered the gentleman with a charming smile:

”My dear Coconnas, it is true that the King was furious at receiving a silver bowl on his shoulder, that the Duc d'Anjou was vexed at being hit on the head by some orange marmalade, and the Duc de Guise humiliated at having the breath knocked out of him by a haunch of venison, and so they were all determined to kill Monsieur de la Mole. But a friend of your friend's turned aside the blow. The party therefore failed in their attempt. 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 to show him my grat.i.tude.”