to her
attractions than the King himself.

This communication startled M. de Sully; and while he was endeavouring
to frame a reply by which he might remain uncompromised, Concini with
his usual presumption followed up the declaration of the Queen by
asserting his own conviction that it was the wisest measure which she
could adopt; as it would at once convince her royal consort that she
desired to keep nothing secret from him in which he was personally
interested.

This interruption afforded time for the Duke to collect his thoughts,
and heedless of the interference of the Italian, he remarked in his turn
that her Majesty must pardon him if he declined to offer any opinion on
so delicate a question, as it was one entirely beyond his province;
after which, resolutely changing the tone of the discourse, he continued
to converse with the Queen upon indifferent topics until Concini had
retired. Then, however, he voluntarily reverted to the subject which she
had herself mooted, and implored her to abandon her design; assuring her
that he had her interest too sincerely at heart to see her without
anxiety about to place herself in a position at once false and
dangerous, as such an assurance from her own lips could not fail to
excite in the breast of the King the greatest and most legitimate
suspicions; for every man of sense must at once feel that no individual,
be his rank what it might, would have dared to declare his passion to a
person of her exalted condition without having previously ascertained
that its expression would be agreeable to her, and having been tacitly
encouraged to do so; while, on the other hand, so far from discovering
any merit in such an avowal, or regarding it as a proof of confidence,
his Majesty would immediately decide that the motive by which she had
been actuated in making it must have been either the fear of discovery,
or a desire to rid herself of persons of whom she had become weary, in
order that she might be left at liberty to encourage new suitors; or
finally, that she had been urged to this unheard-of measure by
individuals who had obtained sufficient influence over her mind to
induce her to sacrifice her peace and her honour to their own
views.[245]

Happily for herself, Marie de Medicis admitted the validity of these
arguments, and abandoned her ill-advised intention; and she was the more
readily induced to do this from the assurance which she received from M.
de Sully that the restora