valued
at four thousand crowns, which she tendered to him with the intelligence
that he was from that moment the captain of her bodyguard, and that she
should thenceforward further his fortunes.

"And now, gentlemen," said the King gaily, as the agitated and grateful
young courtier knelt to kiss the hand which was extended towards him,
"let us resume our journey. When we left St. Germain I was, as you all
know, suffering agonies from toothache, which is now cured; this bath
has been the best remedy I have ever applied; and if any of us dined too
heartily upon salt provisions, we have at least the satisfaction of
feeling that we have been enabled to drink freely since." [333]

A few hours after his arrival in the capital, the King paid a visit to
the Marquise de Verneuil, to whom he related the escape of himself and
his companions;[334] but even on so serious an occasion as this, and one
which had threatened such tragical consequences to the Queen, the
insolent favourite could not comment without indulging in the sarcastic
and bitter pleasantry which she always affected in making any allusion
to her royal mistress. After feeling or feigning great anxiety on the
subject of Henry's own escape, she said with malicious gaiety: "Had I
been there, when once I had seen you safe, I should have exclaimed with
great composure, 'The Queen drinks.'" [335]

Unfortunately the King, taken by surprise, laughed heartily at this
sally, a circumstance which was duly reported to Marie de Medicis, and
which greatly increased her irritation. This new cause of offence was so
grave that she could not forgive the levity of the King more readily
than the heartless insolence of his mistress; and she carried her
resentment to so extreme a pitch that she refused to receive him in her
apartments. Such a determination was naturally productive of serious
confusion in the palace, as it infringed upon all the accustomed
etiquette of the Court, and created great perplexity among the officers
of state; but remonstrances were vain. Marie, stung to the soul by the
insult to which she had been subjected, and which her royal consort had
not only suffered to pass unrebuked, but to which he had in some degree
contributed, would not rescind her resolution; while the King was, in
his turn, equally violent. In vain did the Due de Villeroy, Sully, and
others of the great nobles, endeavour to mediate between them: reason
was lost in passion on both sides; and once