Many French words in the text have accents, etc. which have been omitted.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. THE SPORT OF FOOLS CHAPTER II. THE KING OF NAVARRE CHAPTER III. BOOT AND SADDLE CHAPTER IV. MADEMOISELLE DE LA VIRE CHAPTER V. THE ROAD TO BLOIS CHAPTER VI. MY MOTHER'S LODGING CHAPTER VII. SIMON FLEIX CHAPTER VIII. AN EMPTY ROOM CHAPTER IX. THE HOUSE IN THE RUELLE D'ARCY CHAPTER X. THE FIGHT ON THE STAIRS CHAPTER XI. THE MAN AT THE DOOR CHAPTER XII. MAXIMILIAN DE BETHUNE, BARON DE ROSNY CHAPTER XIII. AT ROSNY CHAPTER XIV. M. DE RAMBOUILLET CHAPTER XV. VILAIN HERODES CHAPTER XVI. IN THE KING'S CHAMBER CHAPTER XVII. THE JACOBIN MONK CHAPTER XVIII. THE OFFER OF THE LEAGUE CHAPTER XIX. MEN CALL IT CHANCE CHAPTER XX. THE KING'S FACE CHAPTER XXI. TWO WOMEN CHAPTER XXII. 'LA FEMME DISPOSE' CHAPTER XXIII. THE LAST VALOIS CHAPTER XXIV. A ROYAL PERIL CHAPTER XXV. TERMS OF SURRENDER CHAPTER XXVI. MEDITATIONS CHAPTER XXVII. TO ME, MY FRIENDS! CHAPTER XXVIII. THE CASTLE ON THE HILL CHAPTER XXIX. PESTILENCE AND FAMINE CHAPTER XXX. STRICKEN CHAPTER XXXI. UNDER THE GREENWOOD CHAPTER XXXII. A TAVERN BRAWL CHAPTER XXXIII. AT MEUDON CHAPTER XXXIV. ''TIS AN ILL WIND' CHAPTER XXXV. 'LE ROI EST MORT' CHAPTER XXXVI. 'VIVE LE ROI!'
A GENTLEMAN OF FRANCE.
CHAPTER I. THE SPORT OF FOOLS.
The death of the Prince of Conde, which occurred in the spring of 1588, by depriving me of my only patron, reduced me to such straits that the winter of that year, which saw the King of Navarre come to spend his Christmas at St. Jean d'Angely, saw also the nadir of my fortunes. I did not know at this time--I may confess it to-day without shame--wither to turn for a gold crown or a new scabbard, and neither had nor discerned any hope of employment. The peace lately patched up at Blois between the King of France and the League persuaded many of the Huguenots that their final ruin was at hand; but it could not fill their exhausted treasury or enable them to put fresh troops into the field.
The death of the Prince had left the King of Navarre without a rival in the affections of the Huguenots; the Vicomte de Turenne, whose turbulent; ambition already began to make itself felt, and M. de Chatillon, ranking next to him. It was my ill-fortune, however, to be equally unknown to all three leaders, and as the month of December which saw me thus miserably straitened saw me reach the age of forty, which I regard, differing in that from many, as the grand climacteric of a man's life, it will be believed that I had need of all the courage which religion and a campaigner's life could supply.
I had been compelled some time before to sell all my horses except the black Sardinian with the white spot on its forehead; and I now found myself obliged to part also with my valet de chambre and groom, whom I dismissed on the same day, paying them their wages with the last links of gold chain left to me. It was not without grief and dismay that I saw myself thus stripped of the appurtenances of a man of birth, and driven to groom my own horse under cover of night. But this was not the worst. My dress, which suffered inevitably from this menial employment, began in no long time to bear witness to the change in my circumstances; so that on the day of the King of Navarre's entrance into St. Jean I dared not face the crowd, always quick to remark the poverty of those above them, but was fain to keep within doors and wear out my patience in the garret of the cutler's house in the Rue de la Coutellerie, which was all the lodging I could now afford.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Gentleman of France by Stanley John Weyman
- 2: Which was sealed with a large seal
- 3: 'that the king's letter says noon
- 4: De Marsac to see the King of Navarre' was all he said
- 5: Of scorn scorn that scarcely deigned to laugh
- 6: My disorder was so great that M
- 7: Turning to the King of Navarre
- 8: On taking the candle to the threshold
- 9: Du Mornay and the well known figure of the King of Navarre
- 10: Du Mornay mentioned your name to me
- 11: 'Will you undertake the adventure
- 12: Who is at present confined in the Vicomte's house at Chize
- 13: He turned to the King of Navarre
- 14: ' Du Mornay continued almost with sternness
- 15: I set out in search of Fresnoy
- 16: 'I am willing to let bygones be bygones if you are
- 17: We found Fresnoy already there
- 18: Thereon Fresnoy was for taking the road at once
- 19: Fresnoy and Matthew supported me on either side
- 20: Which may have been a vague suspicion
- 21: Of the turrets of the Chateau of Chize
- 22: ' the stouter figure muttered in a tone of warning
- 23: Looking now at me and now askance at Fresnoy
- 24: I doubt not Fresnoy would have taken up my challenge
- 25: And Fresnoy was little behind me
- 26: And paused only to give Fresnoy his last instructions
- 27: 'I had such a token as you mention
- 28: ' mademoiselle said imperiously
- 29: She turned hastily to Fanchette
- 30: And the objection which our pursuers
- 31: The country which lay between us and the Loire
- 32: Leaving her to ride with Fanchette
- 33: Permitting Fanchette to take my place
- 34: Raising his hands in astonishment
- 35: And who but Henry of Valois had ridden by his side
- 36: The stranger was a Norman horsedealer
- 37: He volunteered to join our party as far as Blois
- 38: 'The Baron de Rosny is in Blois
- 39: Blois is full from the tiles to the cellars
- 40: The street at this point was unlighted
- 41: A feeble hand had half withdrawn the curtain
- 42: Mademoiselle here scolding our guide from Tours
- 43: Since we must lie in Blois one night
- 44: I must stand before her a liar and a cheat confessed
- 45: 'I am a student of the Sorbonne
- 46: Keep your doubts and your fire to yourself
- 47: I asked Simon Fleix no more questions
- 48: 'The student looked round and saw me
- 49: And gave them fine words and fine speeches and a gold token
- 50: A strange tumult of emotions in my breast
- 51: ' the secret rendezvous of the Religion in Blois
- 52: Who probably knew Blois better than I did
- 53: Her features regular though somewhat childlike
- 54: Out of any reason connected with a a knot of velvet
- 55: 'I picked it up in the Ruelle d'Arcy
- 56: The house in the ruelle d'arcy
- 57: Mademoiselle had dropped the velvet bow
- 58: Little more than a string course
- 59: Through by streets known to Simon
- 60: Someone abruptly threw the door open and stepped out
- 61: I looked cautiously over the balustrade
- 62: Might not alarm the men downstairs
- 63: The men were already halfway up the stairs
- 64: Matthew seconding him in appearance
- 65: Fresnoy was not slow to see the aid this gave him
- 66: My hand going up as I reeled back gave Fresnoy an opening
- 67: And presently I saw this and desisted
- 68: To the glimpse I had had of mademoiselle
- 69: Laying her feeble hand on my wrist and continuing to look
- 70: Gaston he will retain you is your employments
- 71: She was Marie de Loche de Loheac
- 72: The daring and vigour of the Baron de Rosny
- 73: With a collop or two to follow
- 74: 'You will find six horses in the shed there
- 75: 'I am riding towards Rosny also
- 76: This house you prate of in Blois
- 77: Rosny standing inexorable before me awaiting an answer
- 78: 'After greeting Simon Fleix a hundred times
- 79: De Rosny smiled but answered nothing
- 80: I addressed her formally and upon formal topics only
- 81: 'You have a velvet knot of mine
- 82: Recovering herself with all effort
- 83: 'twenty leagues south of La Ganache
- 84: Cantered forward to join Rosny
- 85: De Rosny shrugged his shoulders and passed on
- 86: 'The saying goes that he is at Rosny
- 87: While Maignan remained watching in a room without a light
- 88: Simon Fleix waiting on us with a pale face
- 89: De Rambouillet saluted me politely
- 90: The marquis seemed impelled to add something
- 91: Guise had thought himself secure in this very building
- 92: But he was looking at Rambouillet
- 93: ' Rosny answered with the same spirit
- 94: Signing to Rambouillet to leave him
- 95: ' Rosny answered very earnestly
- 96: De Rosny tells me that you desire a commission at Court
- 97: A month ago it this piece of evidence I mean was at Chize
- 98: But beware especially of Bruhl
- 99: Simon had grown sleek at Rosny
- 100: A bystander muttering that Crillon had been drinking
- 101: Crillon had already seized upon the king
- 102: Was beyond the daring of a Crillon
- 103: I was stooping over Madame de Bruhl begging her to assist me
- 104: 'There was a general cry of 'Madame de Bruhl
- 105: And every eye settling on Bruhl
- 106: At any rate his face grew darker and darker
- 107: He requested the other gentlemen to draw their swords
- 108: One lay at length in the kennel
- 109: And before Gil had started on his errand
- 110: 'even on this side of the Loire
- 111: Four days afterwards you reached Blois
- 112: Francois answered with grave politeness
- 113: De Rosny had uttered against Cardinal Retz
- 114: Father Antoine begged him to wait below
- 115: The monk was not slow in coming to the point
- 116: Had I been an hour quicker I had caught Rosny Rosny himself
- 117: I thought it no disgrace to appeal to Simon
- 118: ''You will not meddle with him
- 119: Bade Simon think out another way
- 120: For mademoiselle has not got the token
- 121: The discovery that Bruhl was moving
- 122: 'You speak of France and Spain and Navarre
- 123: 'So you have been deceiving me
- 124: ''On the Parvis of the Cathedral
- 125: And for the rest invention failed me
- 126: Set off to run towards the Rue St
- 127: Villequier reddened with anger
- 128: And exchanging a few sentences with his nephew
- 129: De Rambouillet remained unmoved
- 130: Who lounged smiling by the king's hand
- 131: De Rambouillet took no notice of him
- 132: ' Marshal Retz exclaimed angrily
- 133: The Duke of Mercoeur laughed aloud
- 134: De Bruhl has with so much fairness restricted himself
- 135: Paved square a little off the Rue St
- 136: In a tone of anguish which wrung my heart
- 137: Denys two people were standing
- 138: And I saw before me Simon Fleix
- 139: 'Tell me this moment where Mademoiselle de la Vire is
- 140: Provoked almost beyond bearing by her ill timed raillery
- 141: When Mademoiselle de la Vire does confer a favour
- 142: As mademoiselle said again and again
- 143: Which Maignan had thoughtfully provided
- 144: That the Duke of Mercoeur and Marshal Retz
- 145: After muttering a hasty word of acknowledgment to Crillon
- 146: There were Quelus and Maugiron and St
- 147: Whose disorder the light disclosed without mercy
- 148: 'If I knew that Turenne were lying
- 149: De Rosny entered to talk with me
- 150: 'In Heaven's name get a new cloak
- 151: Still wearing his hat and mask
- 152: And which led mademoiselle to interfere herself
- 153: 'She laughed so bitterly my heart ached for her
- 154: Fortune had served Bruhl so well that
- 155: ' the Provost answered evasively
- 156: Fearing above all for mademoiselle
- 157: De Bruhl find your Majesty in my lodging
- 158: Or his devotion to mademoiselle
- 159: Who stood with Fresnoy on the upper flight of stairs
- 160: On which Bruhl retained his position
- 161: To my final surrender and encounter with Bruhl on the stairs
- 162: It was not hard to understand her manner at Rosny when
- 163: ' Matthew replied with simplicity
- 164: The Provost answered that he could not
- 165: De Rambouillet is with him now
- 166: That she might see you with Madame de Bruhl
- 167: De Villequier has wisely gone a hunting
- 168: And when I meet that villain I will tear him limb for limb
- 169: D'Agen and Maignan advanced to meet me
- 170: The probability that Bruhl would lie at Chateauroux
- 171: You may find food in Chateauroux
- 172: D'Agen to return thither with Maignan and Simon
- 173: Gave me a clear account of Bruhl and his party
- 174: When Maignan cried out that he knew more
- 175: ' Maignan said in his deep voice
- 176: If I could afford to quarrel with you
- 177: As he stood eyeing the stout grey walls
- 178: Who cried to Maignan that he had met his match at last
- 179: Fanchette had assumed those of the woman
- 180: I muttered a few words of encouragement to Fanchette
- 181: And so it would doubtless have happened had not Fanchette
- 182: 'I will see to that when Maignan comes back
- 183: De Bruhl to the youngest lackey
- 184: In fact the besiegers were rapidly becoming the besieged
- 185: His voice hoarse with terror and dismay
- 186: I crossed the court with Fresnoy
- 187: 'And I want the key of the room above
- 188: And bade him release Mademoiselle de la Vire
- 189: And then after an interval came Maignan
- 190: And turned to find mademoiselle
- 191: Simon Fleix has an inkhorn and paper
- 192: And I an atom perishing unmarked and unnoticed
- 193: A paroxysm of pain deprived me of the power of thought
- 194: 'Brooding in the gloom of the chimney corner
- 195: I would fain have bidden Maignan to begone too
- 196: When she had been absent longer than usual
- 197: 'is the stream which flows between us and separates us
- 198: The King of France and the King of Navarre had met at Tours
- 199: And filled with a rough and noisy crew
- 200: Directed especially to the gentleman in the mask
- 201: And to no desire to disoblige you
- 202: There is space enough between these tables
- 203: And for a moment he fenced wildly
- 204: Berthon de Crillon is proud to wait your convenience
- 205: De Crillon and suffer no disgrace
- 206: 'I will not give you this quittance
- 207: De Rosny received your message
- 208: And fail to see the King of Navarre at all
- 209: So that I heard his last words to the men of Arcueil
- 210: Is now in charge of the Princess of Navarre
- 211: Turenne is happy in his friend
- 212: The distance which separates Meudon from St
- 213: When I had done and by that time Simon had joined us
- 214: De Rambouillet say anything else
- 215: And he fell in behind me as the sentries challenged me
- 216: And though La Guesle called to him
- 217: Letting his attention slip from La Guesle
- 218: And I seized the reins in a shorter grip
- 219: Nor anything except the towers of Meudon
- 220: And rising up suddenly I threw off Maignan with all my force
- 221: Addressing himself to the Vicomte de Turenne
- 222: De Turenne was thinking principally of me
- 223: And again that we might expect him at Meudon before sunset
- 224: And I must request this gentleman to withdraw
- 225: De Turenne was once more at liberty to attend to my affairs
- 226: And that if I condescend to buy you
- 227: De Turenne to go when I had made my answer
- 228: After which La Varenne retired
- 229: I still might have had hope left had I had Rosny left
- 230: De Rosny would have accompanied the Vicomte farther
- 231: Rosny knows my will respecting you
- 232: But stood aside with a grim smile
- 233: Out of a desire to do nothing which might offend Turenne