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Did I understand you aright that I am escaping and have left that boy to bear the brunt of my folly, to suffer for my madness imprisonment and maybe death?" The doctor bent his head. "Leoni," cried the King passionately, "is this acting like a king?" "Sire, it is not for you to ask, nor yet for you to judge of this.
Michelangelo did not leave the house again, but spent the next four days partly reclining in an arm-chair, partly in bed. Upon the 15th following, Diomede Leoni wrote to Lionardo, enclosing a letter by the hand of Daniele da Volterra, which Michelangelo had signed. The old man felt his end approaching, and wished to see his nephew.
"My hand and sleeve are wet with blood. Look, sir, look!" For the moon was shining brightly down upon them now. "A horrible cut upon his brow!" "Halt!" cried Leoni; and at the command the horses stopped so suddenly that but for the hands of his followers the King would have been thrown upon his horse's neck. "Are we to get him down?" panted Denis.
No; it was my honest nature rebelling against deceit. Here, Leoni, what's to be done?" "I'll write the letter over again, sir, and you will sign it this time as the King." "Good!" murmured Francis. The letter was rewritten, and the King signed. "With this passport, sir, King Henry's Court at Windsor will be free to you and to yours."
"Tell him," he said angrily in French, to Leoni "tell him I object to being treated like a prisoner" words which Leoni translated, in the belief that they were not understood. "The Comte de la Seine says, Monsieur Carrbroke, that surely his Majesty would make an exception in favour of his friend."
"Drink this, sir," he said, and in strict obedience to his medical attendant, the sick man drank till the vessel was withdrawn. "Ah!" exclaimed Francis wearily. "I am not well, Leoni. We pay dearly for our adventure. But we will hunt to-morrow at Fontainebleau. Is it not so? Call the Master of the Chase." "You may do so, sir. But you feel stronger now?" "Yes, yes." "Then come, sir."
"My liege, what I communicated was of the gravest import to you and yours, meant for your ears alone." "To be sure, Leoni, but kings need very long ears indeed to take in all that concerns them and have them too, sometimes, my learned doctor, as I have no doubt you men of wisdom think.
Remember Fontainebleau and France." "I do; and I remember too that your plot has failed." "But it has not failed, Sire," cried Leoni, rising now; and as he stood erect there was a look of triumph in his face which gave him, as it were, a reflection of the kingly majesty before which he stood. "It has not failed, but ended in triumph and success." "What!" cried the King fiercely.
"Too dangerous to stay," said Saint Simon. "Yes, and you were right; it was bravely done." "But what about the garden door? It will be fast." "The saints forbid!" muttered Leoni. "Follow and attend the Comte. I will go on first and see."
The floor was made slippery by the wine which bedewed the boards, but before the encounter had lasted a minute there were other drops which added to the peril; for Denis's thin blade had passed along the fleshiest part of the English captain's ribs, and raging now with passion and pain as he felt the sting, he fought furiously, forcing Leoni to do more than guard the boy, whose strength was utterly failing; and interposing now, he literally took the Englishman's blade to his own, beat upon it heavily, and the next moment sent it flying through the open window, out of which he was to have been made to jump.
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