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My brother's amiable qualities excited the jealousy of Maugiron and the rest of his cabal about the King's person, and their dislike for Bussi was not so much on his own account as because he was strongly attached to my brother.
"Pardon, M. Quelus," said he, "but do you still live in the Rue St. Honore?" "Yes, my dear friend; why do you ask?" "I have two words to say to you." "Ah!" "And you, M. de Schomberg?" "Rue Bethisy," said Schomberg, astonished. "D'Epernon's address I know." "Rue de Grenelle." "You are my neighbor. And you, Maugiron?" "Near the Louvre. But I begin to understand; you come from M. de Bussy."
"But, sire, soldiers do not reason thus, they never take ill luck into their calculations." "Pardon me, Maugiron; a soldier may act blindly, but the captain reflects." "Reflect, then, sire, and let us act, who are only soldiers," said Schomberg: "besides, I know no ill luck; I am always successful." "Friend, friend," said the king, sadly, "I wish I could say as much.
Maugiron was playing with Narcissus, the large greyhound, and Quelus was sitting near. "They go on!" cried Henri, "their plot advances; sometimes tigers, sometimes serpents; when they do not spring they glide." "Oh, sire!" said Quelus, "are there not always plots in a kingdom? What the devil could all the sons, brothers, and cousins of kings do if they did not plot?"
The king is angry that you would not take his advice, and M. d'Anjou because you laughed at his nose." "No, Quelus, the king does not come, because he has made a pilgrimage to the monks of the Bois de Vincennes; and the Duc d'Anjou is absent, because he is in love with some woman whom I have forgotten to invite." "But," said Maugiron, "did you see the king's face at dinner?
The young men rushed up; Quelus and Maugiron made for the door to prevent their entering, while Schomberg, D'O, and D'Epernon prepared to attack in front. But he who had been called monseigneur turned towards Quelus, who was in front, and crossing his arms proudly, said: "You attack a son of France, M. Quelus!" Quelus drew back, trembling, and thunderstruck.
'They say there is ill-luck in thirteen, he muttered. 'Thirteen Valois and last! He paused to laugh a wicked, mirthless laugh. 'Ay, Thirteenth! And it is thirteen years since I entered Paris, a crowned King! There were Quelus and Maugiron and St. Megrin and I and he, I remember. Ah, those days, those nights!
He further mentioned that the King's favourites had been practising with his most faithful servants, Maugiron, La Valette, Mauldon, and Hivarrot, and several other good and trusty men, to desert him, and enter into the King's service; and, lastly, that the King had repented of giving me leave to go to Flanders, and that, to counteract my brother, a plan was laid to intercept me on my return, either by the Spaniards, for which purpose they had been told that I had treated for delivering up the country to him, or by the Huguenots, in revenge of the war my brother had carried on against them, after having formerly assisted them.
He further mentioned that the King's favourites had been practising with his most faithful servants, Maugiron, La Valette, Mauldon, and Hivarrot, and several other good and trusty men, to desert him, and enter into the King's service; and, lastly, that the King had repented of giving me leave to go to Flanders, and that, to counteract my brother, a plan was laid to intercept me on my return, either by the Spaniards, for which purpose they had been told that I had treated for delivering up the country to him, or by the Huguenots, in revenge of the war my brother had carried on against them, after having formerly assisted them.
Henri III. would not receive them; they waited vainly in the gallery. It was MM. Quelus, Maugiron, Schomberg, and D'Epernon who came to announce this news to them, with great politeness, and expressing all the regrets in the world. "Ah, gentlemen," said Antragues, "the news is sad, but, coming from your mouths, it loses half its bitterness."
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