arrogance and presumption of the minister, and
claimed instant redress for this affront to his honour and his dignity
as a Prince of the Blood; haughtily declaring that should the King
refuse to do him justice, he would find means to avenge himself.

The unseemly violence of the Count, by offending the self-respect of the
monarch, could not have failed, under any circumstances, to defeat its
own object; but aware as he was that Sully had sought only the
preservation of his master's interests, Henry was even less inclined
than he might otherwise have been to yield to a dictation of this
imperious nature. The very excess of his indignation consequently
rendered him calm and self-possessed, and thus at once gave him a
decided advantage over his excited interlocutor. Instead of retorting
angrily, and involving himself in an undignified dispute, he replied to
the intemperate language of the Count by calmly inquiring if he were to
understand that M. de Sully had addressed the obnoxious remark which was
the subject of complaint to the Prince himself, or if it had merely been
reported to him by a third person. To this question M. de Soissons
impatiently replied that the insult had not indeed been uttered to
himself personally, but that the individual by whom it was communicated
to him was above all suspicion; while he moreover considered that his
assurance of its truth ought to suffice, as he was incapable of
falsehood.

"Were it so, cousin," said Henry coldly, "you would differ greatly from
the other members of your family, especially your elder brother; but
since you appear to place so perfect a reliance on the veracity of your
informant, you have only to name him to me, and to explain precisely
what he alleges to have passed, and I shall then understand what is
necessary to be done, and will endeavour to satisfy you as far as I can
reasonably do so."

M. de Soissons was not, however, prepared to involve Madame de Verneuil
in a quarrel which threatened the most serious results; and he
consequently declared that he had plighted his word not to divulge the
identity of his informant; a promise which he, moreover, considered to
be utterly unnecessary, as he was ready to pledge himself to the entire
truth of what he had advanced.

"So, cousin," said the King with an ambiguous smile, "you screen
yourself under the shadow of an oath from revealing to me what I desire
to know; then I, in my turn, swear not to believe one syllabl