d her
listener, "at least let me urge you to do it in gentler terms."

"I am in no humour to temporize."

Sully made no reply.

"Do not wrap yourself up in silence, Monsieur," exclaimed the Queen
after waiting in vain for his reply. "I believe that you wish to serve
me, and you cannot better do so than by putting these unpalatable truths
into a less repulsive form. Here are the means at hand, but, mark me, I
will not suffer one particular to be omitted."

Under this somewhat difficult restriction the minister proceeded to obey
her command, but she argued upon every sentence, and cavilled at every
paragraph, which tended to soften the harsher features of the letter. At
length, however, the task was completed, and nothing remained to be
effected save its transcription by the Queen. The letter was long and
elaborate, as Sully had skilfully contrived to terminate every reproach
by some reasoning which could not fail to touch the feelings of the
King. Thus, after upbraiding her husband with his perpetual
infidelities, Marie was made to say that if she complained, it was less
for herself, than because, in addition to her anxiety to be the sole
possessor of his heart, she could not coldly contemplate the injury
which he inflicted upon his person and dignity by becoming the rival of
his own subjects, and thus compromising his kingly character; and that
if she insisted with vehemence upon the exile of Madame de Verneuil, her
excuse must be found in the fact that in no other way could her peace
and honour be secured, or the welfare of her children be rendered
sure--those children of whom he was the father as well as the sovereign,
and whom she would cause to fall at his feet to implore compassion for
their mother. She then reminded him of the numerous promises which he
had made to her that he would cease to give her cause of complaint, and
terminated the missive by calling God to witness that should he still be
willing to fulfil them, she would, on her side, renounce all desire for
vengeance upon those by whom she had been so deeply, wronged.

Certain, however, it is that, even with these modifications, the letter
gave serious offence to Henry, who, shortly after its receipt, wrote to
apprise Sully of what he denominated the _impertinence_ of his wife, but
declared that he was less incensed against her than against the
individual by whom the epistle had been dictated, as the style was not
hers, and that he had consequently d