The King's Esquires Part 31

"It may, your Majesty, but--"

"If it is," whispered the King, with his face looking purple in the dim light, "the fox has come unbidden into the lion's den, and if the lion should raise his paw, where would be the fox?"

He looked fiercely and meaningly in his follower's eyes.

"France," continued the King, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "France, how much of those fair domains won by my predecessors with the sword have been wrested from the English crown bit by bit--the n.o.ble domains over which these Valois now rule as usurpers. Hurst, what if the sceptre of England should be held again swaying our ancient lands of France.

Supposing, I say, there were no Valois, or he perforce had been called upon to render back all that had been stolen from our crown. I am the King, and as my father used his gallant sword to gain one kingdom, why should not I by a diplomatic move win back another?"

"Your Majesty is King," said the chamberlain slowly and meaningly.

"Yes," said the King, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper; "and when I am moved to act my will is strong."

There was silence for a few moments, and then Henry continued angrily:

"A ruse--a trick, put upon me for some strange scheming of his own, a gin, a trap to capture me, but for the setter to be caught himself.

Francis, King of France!" he continued hoa.r.s.ely; and then a peculiar smile, mocking, bitter, and almost savage, came upon his, lips as he gazed piercingly at his companion.

"No, Hurst," he said meaningly, "I know no King of France. He would not dare to beard me in my own home like this. This man, this mock amba.s.sador, this Comte de la Seine, is the only one with whom we have to do--an impostor who shall meet with the trickster's fate."

"But your Majesty--" said the chamberlain eagerly.

"My Majesty, Hurst, is going to work his own will, and as he will."

"But, Sire, you will be just?"

"Yes, Hurst, as I always am. I grant that you may still be wrong, and we will clear this up."

"Your Majesty is going to--"

"Straight to the ballroom," replied the King, "to see this Comte de la Seine and have the truth."

"Now, Sire?"

"Yes, now at once."

The King turned abruptly, and, closely followed by the chamberlain, made for the ballroom, where the dancing was in full progress; but the Comte was not leading one of the brightest ladies of the Court through the mazes of gavotte or minuet, and as the King turned angrily to his chamberlain it was to find him in close converse with one of the gentlemen in attendance.

"The Comte made the excuse of a bad headache, Sire, some few minutes back, and retired to his apartments with his suite," whispered Hurst.

"Then I am afraid we shall make it worse," said the King bitterly.

"This way, Hurst; I must have the truth of this before I sleep." And he strode from the room, closely followed by his companion, to whom in his excitement as he followed the angry lion the movements of the dancers seemed mocking, and the music sounded strange.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

DARK WORK.

More than one of the Court ladies thought the gallant Comte strange in his manner, as they waited, fully expecting that he would come up and offer his hand to lead them through the next dance; but it soon became evident that nothing was farther from his intentions, and after looking on for a short time he slowly left the great apartment, and began to make his way towards his own rooms. "I don't like it; I don't like it,"

he muttered. "It is vile and degrading. I feel as if only to think of it were lowering myself to the level of some cutpurse. I would I had never come. No," he added sharply; "the time has pa.s.sed too gaily for me to say that; and the good, bluff, hot-tempered, cheery Henri! I like the brave Englishman, and my faith, I have made him like me, traitor as I am.--No, it is not I. It is the spirit of that cunning, subtle Leoni, with his horrible fixed eye. I cannot tell why, but he masters me--King as I am. He turns me round his finger and forces me to obey even against my better feelings; for I think I have some. Can it be that he is more than man, that he possesses some strange power over one's brain, as he does over the body when one is ill? Well, I'll be master now. I will not do this thing. By my sword, is this cunning Italian to force his master to become a thief? No! He shall learn to-night that I'll have none of it. Conceal who I am! Play the part of a masquerading spy! No! to-morrow I'll tell my brother Harry the whole truth."

He started violently as he came to this conclusion, for a dark figure suddenly glided from behind one of the statues in the long pa.s.sage he was following. "You, Leoni?" he said, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper. "M. le Comte! Yes, it is I. You have been long."

"Long?" said Francis haughtily. "How--" He stopped short, for Leoni placed his lips close to his ear. "France is anxious, Sire, and the time has come."

"The time!" said the King sharply. "Not for that?"

"Yes, M. le Comte, for that. I have been waiting for the fateful moment to arrive for the great opportunity, and it has come."

"But," cried Francis, "I have been thinking--my position here--my good friend the King. Leoni, all this must end; I cannot, I will not do this thing."

"Sire!" whispered Leoni.

"No, no, man. It is the Comte de la Seine you speak to, and who tells you he will let you lead him no more through these devious ways. Who are you that you should dare to force me onward into such a crime?"

"Your servant, sir, but at the same time he to whom it is given to lead you aright towards making your country the greatest in the world."

"Through crime?" said the King hotly.

"The acts of kings, sir, are outside crime. You are the anointed, and can do no wrong."

"Of my own will, no; but this:--"

"Sir, the spirit of your country calls upon you to act. The fateful jewel we came to seek is ready to pa.s.s into your possession, and the time has come--"

"Leoni, I will not hear you. I swear I will not sully mine honour with such an act. This deed shall never be done by me."

"Deed--deed, sir--act! You speak as if it were a crime," whispered Leoni.

"It is a crime," cried the King angrily. "Dare not to speak to me of this deed again. Now, enough. The King expects me back, and to-morrow I will place myself outside temptation, and leave this place. Whatever happens, my visit here is at an end."

"Your visit ends to-night, sir," said Leoni, in a low, harsh whisper; and as he spoke he leaned forward, pa.s.sed his hands quickly before the King's face, and then caught him by the wrist.

"Leoni!" said Francis quickly. "What means this?"

"I have told you, sir. It is too late to attempt to shrink back now that the fateful moment has arrived. Quick, sir, and in an hour's time we shall be on our way to the coast. Silence, sir," he whispered sharply, as Francis essayed to speak, looking half dazed the while in his companion's eye, as Leoni leaned towards him with his hot breath pa.s.sing over the monarch's face. "This way, sir--quick!"

"Where? Where?" faltered the King. "What does this mean, Leoni?" he whispered. "Have you been tricking me with one of your accursed drugs?"

"Silence, sir! I am calling you back to your duty," whispered the doctor, as he guided Francis quickly along the pa.s.sage, still holding him tightly by the wrist, "for once more I pray you to prove yourself our country's greatest son."

Francis made no reply, no sign, but, yielding helplessly, allowed himself to be led to the door of his ante-chamber, where the door opened without being touched, and, once inside, closed behind them, Saint Simon having been waiting, while Denis, who looked pale and excited by the light of the two candles that illumined the room, rose up from where he had been kneeling, securing the straps of a valise.

No one spoke a word, for Leoni raised his hand as if commanding silence, as he still held the wrist of Francis, who gazed vacantly from one to the other as if he were in a dream.

"Is the Comte ill?" said Denis anxiously.

"A little over-excited," said Leoni quickly. "A cup of water, boy."