The King's Esquires Part 41

"Perhaps not," said the captain, with a bluff laugh, "but you might try to take him."

"In a litter?" said Leoni mockingly.

"There, we must not bandy words, sir," said the captain. "It is my duty to tell you that an attempt at escape may be at the cost of some of your lives. We will stay here the night. But now, gentlemen, I have one unpleasant duty to perform."

"Our swords!" cried Denis hotly.

"No, sir," said the captain, with a smile. "His Majesty would not desire that I should call upon you to suffer that indignity. My instructions were that in your hasty departure the other night one of you took by mistake something--papers, doc.u.ments, I don't know exactly what--but something to which his Majesty attaches great importance."

"I hardly understand you," said Leoni coolly.

"Perhaps one of your friends does, sir," continued the captain. "Of course it was taken by mistake."

"This means, I presume, that you consider yourself bound to search us?"

The captain bowed.

"Pray do so, then, but incommode my patient as little as you can. You have an easy task, sir, for our valises were left behind."

As Leoni said, it was an easy task, for all offered themselves freely to the officer's inspection, and soon after the latter signified that he was satisfied, and was about to leave the room. But as he reached the door he stopped short and turned to Leoni.

"One moment, sir," he said. "Can you and will you answer for the Comte here, who seems to be insensible to what is going on?"

"He is," said Leoni, "from the effects of his wound."

"Then will you speak for him? And you, gentlemen, will you all give me your word that you are not bearing off any paper or despatch belonging to his Majesty?"

"Certainly," replied Leoni, "and my friends will too. We have neither paper nor despatch belonging to your King."

The captain bowed, and left the room, to set a couple of his men as sentries at the chamber door; and as the occupants of the humble room stood listening to the King's heavy breathing, for he had fallen into a deep sleep, they heard the tramp of footsteps outside, sounds which made Leoni glide on tiptoe to the window and cautiously look out.

"Prisoners indeed," he said softly, with a bitter smile, as he returned; and as in the dim light of the two candles burning on the table Denis met the doctor's eyes with a stern reproachful look, he shuddered slightly, for they looked to him more strange and fixed than ever, having so strange an effect upon him that he could not put his reproach into words.

"Well," said Leoni lightly, "calmness is the best remedy for a trouble.

Gentlemen, I will watch by our master's side; you are young, and had better go back to your chambers and try to sleep. Of course it would be madness to attempt to escape."

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

A DEATH WARRANT.

"Well," said the King, on the following evening, "you have them prisoners?"

"Yes, Sire."

"Safely?"

"They are back in their old apartments, sir," replied the chamberlain.

"What, not imprisoned?"

"No, Sire; they are carefully watched, but they are still your Majesty's guests."

"Absurd!" cried the King fiercely. "This man can be no amba.s.sador. He is a marauder, a masquerader, who came to my court to act the common thief."

"But the letter, Sire, of which he was the bearer?"

"Is as false as everything else concerning him. My guests!" cried the King fiercely. "My prisoners! This man shall die."

"But that will not restore the jewel, Sire."

"What!" cried the King angrily. "Have you not got it?"

"No, Sire. They were carefully searched, but it was not found."

"Then he shall be forced to confess where it is."

"I have not told your Majesty all yet," said the chamberlain.

"Then why have you not?" cried the King fiercely. "Speak out, man; speak out!"

"Your Majesty checked me," replied the chamberlain deprecatingly, "The Comte was--"

"The Comte!" cried the King contemptuously.

"Then this member of the Valois family, as you believe he is."

"But no--absurd! Let him be the Comte de la Seine; one who has come here under false pretences, a pretender. Whoever he is, he is my enemy, fate has placed him in my hands, and he shall die--ay, if it costs me a war with France. But mark me well--he dies as the thief who under the mask of a French n.o.bleman entered my palace to plunder. The world shall see in this matter only the just punishment of a crime." And as he spoke the King drew towards him paper and seized a pen. "Short and sharp punishment," he said, "and in thus acting I clear the way to the throne which by rights is mine."

The chamberlain stretched out his hand in an imploring gesture, the while a mocking smile played about the King's lips.

"Sire," he said, "hesitate now. Think well of what you are about to do.

Heaven could let no good come of it, and the day will dawn when you will rue the committal of a crime."

"Hurst!" exclaimed the King angrily; but the chamberlain dropped on one knee.

"Your Majesty, let me plead for this stranger who came to your Court--"

"As a thief."

"No, Sire; as a patriot who had determined to obtain the jewel which in the old time belonged to his ancestors' crown."

"That is naught," said Henry. "This man shall die." And he raised the pen once more.

"You who are so great a king, Sire, should be magnanimous here. This night, Sire, is your own, to do good or ill; but it will be the darkest of your reign if that warrant is signed."

"But why do you intercede?" asked Henry, and he threw himself back in his chair. "Francis is nothing to you."