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Diana, however, violently pushed Remy aside, and seizing Du Bouchage by the arm, she drew him straight before her. She was lividly pale; her beautiful hair streamed over her shoulders; the contact of the hand on Henri's wrist seemed to the latter cold and damp as the dews of death. "Monsieur," she said, "do not rashly judge of matters of which Heaven alone can judge.
Five years older than Du Bouchage, he withheld from him neither good nor evil counsel, neither his purse nor his smile. But as he wore his cardinal's costume with wonderful effect, Du Bouchage thought him handsome, noble, almost formidable, and accordingly respected him more, perhaps, than he did the elder of them both.
Du Bouchage, therefore, passed through all the apartments until he reached the garden, a true garden of a Roman prelate, luxurious in its shade, coolness, and perfume, such as, at the present day, may be found at the Villa Pamphile or the Palais Borghese.
At her side appeared the melancholy but sweet face of the queen, Louise de Torraine. Catherine came as a triumph, she as a punishment. Behind them came two handsome young men, brothers, the eldest of whom smiled with wonderful beauty, and the younger with great melancholy. The one was Anne, duc de Joyeuse, and the other Henri de Joyeuse, comte de Bouchage.
"Ah! monseigneur," said the ensign, "you misunderstand me; there are no secrets but those which concern M. du Bouchage. Might it not be, for example, that, while serving the general interests, he might have wished to render a service to some friend or relation by escorting him?" "Who here is a friend or relation of the comte? Tell me, that, I may embrace him."
"Poor boy!" said the king. "I think he will make a good preacher; will he not, Chicot?" Chicot did not reply. Du Bouchage continued: "You see, sire, that it is with my own family that the struggle will take place, and with my relations that I shall meet with the greatest opposition. My brother, the cardinal, at once so good and so worldly, will find a thousand reasons to persuade me against it.
"Oh! that is natural; but permit me to present myself. I will explain my directions in all their details." "No, no, thank you: madame is perhaps asleep, and her sleep is sacred to me." "As you wish. Besides, I have told you what my master told me to say." "To me?" "To you and the young lady." "Your master, M. le Comte du Bouchage, you mean?" "Yes." "Thank you, monsieur."
This young man, as Remy knew, and Diana suspected, was Henri du Bouchage, whom a strange fatality threw once more into the presence of the woman he had determined to fly.
"I will not accept any excuse; you have no one but myself here, since you have just arrived from Flanders, and your own house cannot be in order just yet." With these words the cardinal rose, and drawing aside a portière, which hung before a large cabinet sumptuously furnished, he said: "Come, comtesse, let us persuade Monsieur le Comte du Bouchage to stay with us."
Henri wished to warn Remy to be on his guard, but it was impossible; all he could do was to say to the ensign: "Watch well over the powder; watch it as I would myself, will you not?" "Yes, M. le Comte," replied the young man. On the way the duke said to Du Bouchage, "Where is this powder that you speak of?" "In the house we have just left, your highness."
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