第94章 A ROYAL PERIL.(1)

The elation with which I had heard the king announce his resolution quickly diminished on cooler reflection.It stood in particular at a very low ebb as I waited,an hour later,at the little north postern of the Castle,and,cowering within the shelter of the arch to escape the wind,debated whether his Majesty's energy would sustain him to the point of action,or whether he might not,in one of those fits of treacherous vacillation which had again and again marred his plans,send those to keep the appointment who would give a final account of me.The longer I considered his character the more dubious Igrew.The loneliness of the situation,the darkness,the black front,unbroken by any glimmer of light,which the Castle presented on this side,and the unusual and gloomy stillness which lay upon the town,all contributed to increase my uneasiness.It was with apprehension as well as relief that Icaught at last the sound of footsteps on the stone staircase,and,standing a little to one side,saw a streak of light appear at the foot of the door.

On the latter being partially opened a voice cried my name.Iadvanced with caution and showed myself.A brief conversation ensued between two or three persons who stood within;but in the end,a masked figure,which I had no difficulty in identifying as the king,stepped briskly out.

'You are armed?'he said,pausing a second opposite me.

I put back my cloak and showed him,by the light which streamed from the doorway,that I carried pistols as well as a sword.

'Good!'he answered briefly;'then let us go.Do you walk on my left hand,my friend.It is a dark night,is it not?'

'Very dark,sire,'I said.

He made no answer to this,and we started,proceeding with caution until we had crossed the narrow bridge,and then with greater freedom and at a better pace.The slenderness of the attendance at Court that evening,and the cold wind,which swept even the narrowest streets and drove roisterers indoors,rendered it unlikely that we should be stopped or molested by any except professed thieves;and for these I was prepared.The king showed no inclination to talk;and keeping silence myself out of respect,I had time to calculate the chances and to consider whether his Majesty would succeed where I had failed.

This calculation,which was not inconsistent with the keenest watchfulness on my part whenever we turned a corner or passed the mouth of an alley,was brought to an end by our safe arrival at the house.Briefly apologising to the king for the meanness and darkness of the staircase,I begged leave to precede him,and rapidly mounted until I met Maignan.Whispering to him that all was well,I did not wait to hear his answer,but,bidding him be on the watch,I led the king on with as much deference as was possible until we stood.at the door of mademoiselle's apartment,which I have elsewhere stated to consist of an outer and inner room.The door was opened by Simon Fleix,and him Ipromptly sent out.Then,standing aside and uncovering,I begged the king to enter.

He did so,still wearing his hat and mask,and I followed and secured the door.A lamp hanging from the ceiling diffused an imperfect light through the room,which was smaller but more comfortable in appearance than that which I rented overhead.Iobserved that Fanchette,whose harsh countenance looked more forbidding than usual,occupied a stool which she had set in a strange fashion against the Inner door;but I thought no more of this at the moment,my attention passing quickly to mademoiselle,who sat crouching before the fire,enveloped in a large outdoor cloak,as if she felt the cold.Her back was towards us,and she was,or pretended to be,still ignorant of our presence.With a muttered word I pointed her out to the king,and went towards her with him.

'Mademoiselle,I said in a low voice,'Mademoiselle de la Vire!

I have the honour--'

She would not turn,and I stopped.Clearly she heard,but she betrayed that she did so only by drawing her cloak more closely round her.Primed by my respect for the king,I touched her lightly on tile shoulder.'Mademoiselle!'I said impatiently,'you are not aware of it,but--'

She shook herself free from my hand with so rude a gesture that Ibroke off,and stood gazing foolishly at her.The king smiled,and nodding to me to step back a pace,took the task on himself.

'Mademoiselle,'he said with dignity,'I am not accustomed--'

His voice had a magical effect.Before he could add another word she sprang up as if she had been struck,and faced us,a cry of alarm on her lips.Simultaneously we both cried out too,for it was not mademoiselle at all.The woman who confronted us,her hand on her mask,her eyes glittering through the slits,was of a taller and fuller figure.We stared at her.Then a lock of bright golden hair which had escaped from the hood of her cloak gave us the clue.'Madame!'the king cried.

'Madame de Bruhl!'I echoed,my astonishment greater than his.

Seeing herself known,she began with trembling fingers to undo the fastenings of her mask;but the king,who had hitherto displayed a trustfulness I had not expected in him,had taken alarm at sight of her,as at a thing unlooked for,and of which Ihad not warned him.'How is this?'he said harshly,drawing back a pace from her and regarding me with anger and distrust.

'Is this some pretty arrangement of yours,sir?Am I an intruder at an assignation,or is this a trap with M.de Bruhl in the background?Answer,sirrah!'he continued,working himself rapidly into a passion.'Which am I to understand is the case?'

'Neither,sire,'I answered with as much dignity as I could assume,utterly surprised and mystified as I was by Madame's presence.'Your Majesty wrongs Madame de Bruhl as much by the one suspicion as you injure me by the other.I am equally in the dark with you,sire,and as little expected to see madame here.'