from the memoirs of a minister of france-第45章

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〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃you　scoundrel；　and　the　third　puppy？〃

〃Ay；　and　the　gipsy　girl？〃　　the　King　continued。　　〃The　butler's　wench；　what　of　her？　　And　of　your　evil　living？　　Begone；　begone；　rascal！〃　he　continued；　falling　into　a　fresh　paroxysm；　〃or　you　will　kill　US　in　earnest。　　Would　nothing　else　do　for　you　but　to　die　in　my　chamber？　　Begone！〃

I　took　this　as　a　hint　to　clear　the　room；　not　only　of　La　Trape　himself　but　of　all；　and　presently　only　I　and　Du　Laurens　remained　with　the　King。　　It　then　appeared　that　there　was　still　a　mystery；　and　one　which　it　behoved　us　to　clear　up；　inasmuch　as　Du　Laurens　took　the　cat's　death　very　seriously；　insisting　that　it　had　died　of　poison　administered　in　a　most　sinister　fashion；　and　one　that　could　not　fail　to　recall　to　our　minds　the　Borgian　popes。　　It　needed　no　more　than　this　to　direct　my　suspicions　to　the　Florentines　who　swarmed　about　the　Queen；　and　against　whom　the　King　had　let　drop　so　many　threats。　　But　the　indisposition　which　excitement　had　for　a　time　kept　at　bay　began　to　return　upon　me；　and　I　was　presently　glad　to　drop　the　subject；　and　retire　to　my　own　apartments；　leaving　the　King　to　dress。

Consequently；　I　was　not　with　him　when　the　strange　discovery　which　followed　was　made。　　In　the　ordinary　course　of　dressing；　one　of　the　servants　going　to　the　fire…place　to　throw　away　a　piece　of　waste　linen；　thought　that　he　heard　a　rat　stir　among　the　boughs。　He　moved　them；　and　in　a　moment　a　small　snake　crawled　out；　hissing　and　darting　out　its　tongue。　　It　was　killed；　and　then　it　at　once　occurred　to　the　King　that　he　had　the　secret　of　the　cat's　death。　He　came　to　me　hot…foot　with　the　news；　and　found　me　with　Du　Laurens　who　was　in　the　act　of　ordering　me　to　bed。

I　confess　that　I　heard　the　story　almost　with　apathy；　so　ill　was　I。　　Not　so　the　physician。　　After　examining　the　snake；　which　by　the　King's　orders　had　been　brought　for　my　inspection；　he　pronounced　that　it　was　not　of　French　origin。　　〃It　has　escaped　from　some　snake…charmer；〃　he　said。

The　King　seemed　to　be　incredulous。

〃I　assure　you　that　I　speak　the　truth；　sire；〃　Du　Laurens　persisted。

〃But　how　then　did　it　come　in　my　room？〃

〃That　is　what　I　should　like　to　know；　sire；〃　the　physician　answered　severely；　〃and　yet　I　think　that　I　can　guess。　　It　was　put　there；　I　fancy；　by　the　person　who　sent　up　the　milk　to　your　chamber。〃

〃Why　do　you　say　so？〃　　Henry　asked

〃Because；　sire；　all　snakes　are　inordinately　fond　of　milk。〃

〃Ah！〃　the　King　said　slowly；　with　a　change　of　countenance　and　a　shudder　which　he　could　not　repress；　〃and　there　was　milk　on　the　floor　in　the　morning。〃

〃Yes；　sire；　on　the　floor；　and　beside　the　head　of　your　bed。〃

But　at　this　stage　I　was　attacked　by　a　fit　of　illness　so　severe　that　I　had　to　break　in　on　the　discussion；　and　beg　the　King　to　withdraw。　　The　sickness　increased　on　me　during　the　day；　and　by　noon　I　was　prostrate；　neither　taking　interest　in　anything；　nor　allowing　others；　who　began　to　fear　for　my　life；　to　divert　their　attention。　　After　twenty…four　hours　I　began　to　mend；　but　still　several　days　elapsed　before　I　was　able　to　devote　myself　to　business；　and　then　I　found　that；　the　master…mind　being　absent；　and　the　King；　as　always；　lukewarm　in　the　pursuit；　nothing　had　been　done　to　detect　and　punish　the　criminal。

I　could　not　rest　easy；　however；　with　so　abominable　a　suspicion　attaching　to　my　house；　and　as　soon　as　I　could　bend　my　mind　to　the　matter　I　began　an　inquiry。　　At　the　first　stage；　however；　I　came　to　an　IMPASSE；　the　butler；　who　had　been　long　in　my　service；　cleared　himself　without　difficulty；　but　a　few　questions　discovered　the　fact　that　a　person　who　had　been　in　his　department　on　the　evening　in　question　was　now　to　seek；　having　indeed　disappeared　from　that　time。　　This　was　the　gipsy…girl；　whom　La　Trape　had　mentioned；　and　whose　presence　in　my　household　seemed　to　need　the　more　elucidation　the　farther　I　pushed　the　inquiry。　　In　the　end　I　had　the　butler　punished；　but　though　my　agents　sought　the　girl　through　Paris；　and　even　traced　her　to　Meaux；　she　was　never　discovered。

The　affair；　at　the　King's　instance；　was　not　made　public；　nevertheless；　it　gave　him　so　strong　a　distaste　for　the　Arsenal　that　he　did　not　again　visit　me；　nor　use　the　rooms　I　had　prepared。　That　later；　when　the　first　impression　wore　off；　he　would　have　done　so；　is　probable；　but；　alas；　within　a　few　months　the　malice　of　his　enemies　prevailed　over　my　utmost　precautions；　and　robbed　me　of　the　best　of　masters；　strangely　enough；　as　all　the　world　now　knows；　at　the　corner　of　that　very　Rue　de　la　Feronnerie　which　he　had　seen　in　his　dream。



XII。　AT　FONTAINEBLEAU。

The　passion　which　Henry　still　felt　for　Madame　de　Conde；　and　which　her　flight　from　the　country　was　far　from　assuaging；　had　a　great　share　in　putting　him　upon　the　immediate　execution　of　the　designs　we　had　so　long　prepared。　　Looking　to　find　in　the　stir　and　bustle　of　a　German　campaign　that　relief　of　mind　which　the　Court　could　no　longer　afford　him；　he　discovered　in　the　unhoped…for　wealth　of　his　treasury　an　additional　incitement；　and　now　waited　only　for　the　opening　of　spring　and　the　Queen's　coronation　to　remove　the　last　obstacles　that　kept　him　from　the　field。

Nevertheless；　relying　on　my　assurances　that　all　things　were　ready；　and　persuaded　that　the　more　easy　he　showed　himself　the　less　prepared　would　he　find　the　enemy；　he　made　no　change　in　his　habits；　but　in　March；　1610；　went；　as　usual；　to　Fontainebleau；　where　he　diverted　himself　with　hunting。　　It　was　during　this　visit　that　the　Court　credited　him　with　seeingI　think；　on　the　Friday　before　the　Feast　of　the　Virginthe　Great　Huntsman；　and　even　went　so　far　as　to　specify　the　part　of　the　forest　in　which　he　came　upon　it；　and　the　formthat　of　a　gigantic　black　horseman；　surrounded　by　houndswhich　it　assumed　The　spectre　had　not　been　seen　since　the　year　1598；　nevertheless；　the　story　spread　widely；　those　who　whispered　it　citing　in　its　support　not　only　the　remarkable　agitation　into　which　the　Queen　fell　publicly　on　the　evening　of　that　day；　but　also　some　strange　particulars　that　attended　the　King's　return　from　the　forest；　and；　being　taken　up　and　repeated；　and　confirmed；　as　many　thought；　by　the　unhappy　sequence　of　his　death；　the　fable　found　a　little　later　almost　universal　credence；　so　that　it　may　now　be　found　even　in　books。

As　it　happened；　however；　I　was　that　day　at　Fontainebleau；　and　hunted　with　the　King；　and；　favoured　both　by　chance　and　the　confidence　with　which　my　master　never　failed　to　honour　me；　am　able　not　only　to　refute　this　story；　but　to　narrate　the　actual　facts　from　which　it　took　its　rise。　　And　though　there　are　some；　I　know；　who　boast　that　they　had　the　tale　from　the　King's　own　mouth；　I　undertake　to　prove　either　that　they　are　romancers　who　seek　to　add　an　inch　to　their　stature；　or　dull　fellows　who　placed　their　own　interpretation　on　the　hasty　words　he　vouchsafed　such　chatterers。

As　a　fact；　the　King；　on　that　day　wishing　to　discuss　with　me　the　preparations　for　the　Queen's　entry；　bade　me　keep　close　to　him；　since　he　had　more　inclination　for　my　company　than　the　chase。　　But　the　crowd　that　attended　him　was　so　large；　the　day　being　fine　and　warmand　comprised；　besides；　so　many　ladies；　whose　badinage　and　gaiety　he　could　never　foregothat　I　found　him　insensibly　drawn　from　me。　　Far　from　being　displeased；　I　was　glad　to　see　him　forget　the　moodiness　which　had　of　late　oppressed　him；　and　beyond　keeping　within　sight　of　him；　gave　up；　for　the　time；　all　thought　of　affairs；　and　found　in　the　beauty　of　the　spectacle　sufficient　compensation。　　The　bright　dresses　and　waving　feathers　of　the　party　showed　to　the　greatest　advantage；　as　the　long　cavalcade　wound　through　the　heather　and　rocks　of　the　valley　below　the　Apremonts；　and　whether　I　looked　to　front　or　rearon　the　huntsmen；　with　their　great　horns；　or　the　hounds　straining　in　the　leashesI　was　equally　charmed　with　a　sight　at　once　joyous　and　gallant；　and　one　to　which　the　calls　of　duty　had　of　late　made　me　a　stranger。

On　a　sudden　a　quarry　was　started；　and　the　company；　galloping　off　pell…mell；　with　a　merry　burst　of　music；　were　in　a　moment　dispersed；　some　taking　this　track；　and　others　that；　through　the　rocks　and　DEBRIS　that　make　that　part　of　the　forest　difficult。　Singling　out　the　King；　I　kept　as　near　him　as　possible　until　the　chase　led　us　into　the　Apremont　coverts；　where；　the　trees　growi