第84章 THE KING'S FACE.(6)

'For help?'said the king,surprised.And at that the most;ludicrous change fell upon the faces of all.The king looked puzzled,the Duke of Nevers smiled,the Duke of Mercoeur laughed aloud.Crillon cried boisterously,'Good hit!'and the majority,who wished no better than to divine the winning party,grinned broadly,whether they would or no.

To Marshal Retz,however,and Bruhl,that which to everyone else seemed an amusing retort had a totally different aspect;while the former turned yellow with chagrin and came near to choking,the latter looked as chapfallen and startled as if his guilt;had been that moment brought home to him.Assured by the tone of the monk's voice--which must,indeed,have thundered in his ears--that my name was uttered in denunciation by one who thought me his assailant,he had chosen to tell the truth without reflecting that words,so plain to him,might;bear a different construction when repeated.

'Certainly the words seem ambiguous,'Henry muttered.

'But it was Marsac killed him,'Retz cried in a rage.

'It is for some evidence of that we are waiting,'my champion answered suavely.

The Marshal looked helplessly at Nevers and Mercoeur,who commonly took part with him;but apparently those noblemen had not been primed for this occasion.They merely shook their heads and smiled.In the momentary silence which followed,while all looked curiously at Bruhl,who could not conceal his mortification,M.d'Agen stepped forward.

'If your Majesty will permit me,'he said,a malicious simper crossing his handsome face--I had often remarked his extreme dislike for Bruhl without understanding it--'I think I can furnish some evidence more to the point than that;to which M.de Bruhl has with so much fairness restricted himself.'He then went on to state that he had had the honour of being in my company at the time of the murder;and he added,besides,so many details as to exculpate me to the satisfaction of any candid person.

The king nodded.'That settles the matter,'he said,with a sigh of relief.'You think so,Mercoeur,do you not?Precisely.

Villequier,see that the order respecting M.de Marsac is cancelled.'

M.de Retz could not control his wrath on hearing this direction given.'At this rate,'he cried recklessly,'we shall have few priests left here!We have got a bad name at Blois,as it is!'

For a moment all in the circle held their breath,while the king's eyes flashed fire at this daring allusion to the murder of the Duke de Guise,and his brother the Cardinal.But it was Henry's misfortune to be ever indulgent in the wrong place,and severe when severity was either unjust or impolitic.He recovered himself with an effort,and revenged himself only by omitting to invite the Marshal,who was now trembling in his shoes,to join his riding-party.

The circle broke up amid some excitement.I stood on one side with M.d'Agen,while the king and his immediate following passed out,and,greatly embarrassed as I was by the civil congratulating of many who would have seen me hang with equal goodwill,I was sharp enough to see that something was brewing between Bruhl and Marshal Retz,who stood back conversing in low tones.I was not surprised,therefore,when the former made his way towards me through the press which filled the antechamber,and with a lowering brow requested a word with me.

'Certainly,'I said,watching him narrowly,for I knew him to be both treacherous and a bully.'Speak on,sir.'

'You have balked me once and again,'he rejoined,in a voice which shook a little,as did the fingers with which he stroked his waxed moustache.'There is no need of words between us.I,with one sword besides,will to-morrow at noon keep the bridge at Chaverny,a league from here.It is an open country.Possibly your pleasure may lead you to ride that way with a friend?'

'You may depend upon me,sir,'I answered,bowing low,and feeling thankful that the matter was at length to be brought to a fair and open arbitration.'I will be there--and in person.For my deputy last night,'I added,searching his face with a steadfast eye,'seems to have been somewhat unlucky.'