第83章 THE KING'S FACE.(5)

He kept his shifty eyes,which seldom met those of the person he addressed,on the floor;and this accentuated the awkward stooping carriage which was natural to him.There were seven or eight dogs of exceeding smallness in the room,and while we waited for the persons who had been summoned,he kicked,now one and now another of the baskets which held them,as if he found in this some vent for his ill-humour.

The witnesses presently appeared,followed by several persons,among whom were the Dukes of Nevers and Mercoeur,who came to ride out with the king,and M.de Crillon;so that the chamber grew passably full.The two dukes nodded formally to the Marquis,as they passed him,but entered into a muttered conversation with Retz,who appeared to be urging them to press his cause.They seemed to decline,however,shrugging their short cloaks as if the matter were too insignificant.Crillon on his part cried audibly,and with an oath,to know what the matter was;and being informed,asked whether all this fuss was being made about a damned shaveling monk.

Henry,whose tenderness for the cowl was well known,darted an angry glance at him,but contented himself with saying sharply to M.d'Agen,'Now,sir,what do you know about the matter?'

'One moment,sire,'M.Rambouillet cried,interposing before Francois could answer.'Craving your Majesty's pardon,you have heard M.de Bruhl's account.May I,as a favour to myself,beg you,sire,to permit us also to hear it?'

'What?'Marshal Retz exclaimed angrily,'are we to be the judges,then,or his Majesty?Arnidieu!'he continued hotly,'what,in the fiend's name,have we to do with it?I protest 'fore Heaven--'

'Ay,sir,and what do you protest?'my champion retorted,turning to him with stern disdain.

'Silence!'cried the king who had listened almost bewildered.

'Silence!By God,gentlemen,'he continued,his eye travelling round the circle with a sparkle of royal anger in it not unworthy of his crown,'you forget yourselves.I will have none of this quarrelling in my presence or out of it.I lost Quelus and Maugiron that way,and loss enough,and I will have none of it,Isay!M.de Bruhl,'he added,standing erect,and looking for the moment,with all his paint and frippery,a king,'M.de Bruhl,repeat your story.'

The feelings with which I listened to this controversy may be imagined.Devoured in turn by hope and fear as now one side and now the other seemed likely to prevail,I confronted at one moment the gloom of the dungeon,and at another tasted the air of freedom,which had never seemed so sweet before.Strong as these feelings were,however,they gave way to curiosity at this point;when I heard Bruhl called,and saw him come forward at the king's command.Knowing this man to be himself guilty,I marvelled with what face he would present himself before all those eyes,and from what depths of impudence he could draw supplies in such an emergency.

I need not have troubled myself,however,for he was fully equal to the occasion.His high colour and piercing black eyes met the gaze of friend and foe alike without flinching.Dressed well and elegantly,he wore his raven hair curled in the mode,and looked alike gay,handsome,and imperturbable.If there was a suspicion of coarseness about his bulkier figure,as he stood beside M.

d'Agen,who was the courtier perfect and point devise,it went to the scale of sincerity,seeing that men naturally associate truth with strength.

'I know no more than this,sire,'he said easily;'that,happening to cross the Parvis at the moment of the murder,Iheard Father Antoine scream.He uttered four words only,in the tone of a man in mortal peril.They were'--and here the speaker looked for an instant at me--'Ha!Marsac!A moi!'

'Indeed!'M.de Rambouillet said,after looking to the king for permission.'And that was all?You saw nothing?'

Bruhl shook his head.'It was too dark,'he said.

'And heard no more?'

'No.'

'Do I understand,then,'the Marquis continued slowly,'that M.

de Marsac is arrested because the priest--God rest his soul!--cried to him for help?'

'For help?'M.de Retz exclaimed fiercely.