at the Bohemian had
been a bad prophet on his own account, else he would have avoided
returning to Tours, and saved himself from the gallows he had merited.

"It often happens that those who are gifted with prophetic knowledge,"
answered Louis, with much gravity, "have not the power of foreseeing
those events in which they themselves are personally interested."

"Under your Majesty's favour," replied the confidant, "that seems as if
a man could not see his own hand by means of the candle which he holds,
and which shows him every other object in the apartment."

"He cannot see his own features by the light which shows the faces of
others," replied Louis; "and that is the more faithful illustration of
the case.--But this is foreign to my purpose at present. The Bohemian
hath had his reward, and peace be with him.--But these ladies!--Not
only does Burgundy threaten us with war for harbouring them, but their
presence is like to interfere with my projects in my own family. My
simple cousin of Orleans hath barely seen this damsel, and I venture to
prophesy that the sight of her is like to make him less pliable in the
matter of his alliance with Joan."

"Your Majesty," answered the counsellor, "may send these ladies of
Croye back to Burgundy, and so make your peace with the Duke. Many
might murmur at this as dishonourable; but if necessity demands the
sacrifice--"

"If profit demanded the sacrifice, Oliver, the sacrifice should be
made without hesitation," answered the King. "I am an old, experienced
salmon, and use not to gulp the angler's hook because it is busked up
with a feather called honour. But what is worse than a lack of honour,
there were, in returning those ladies to Burgundy, a forfeiture of those
views of advantage which moved us to give them an asylum. It were heart
breaking to renounce the opportunity of planting a friend to ourselves,
and an enemy to Burgundy, in the very centre of his dominions, and so
near to the discontented cities of Flanders. Oliver, I cannot relinquish
the advantages which our scheme of marrying the maiden to a friend of
our own house seems to hold out to us."

"Your Majesty," said Oliver, after a moment's thought, "might confer her
hand on some right trusty friend, who would take all blame on himself,
and serve your Majesty secretly, while in public you might disown him."

"And where am I to find such a friend?" said Louis. "Were I to bestow
her upon any one of our mutinous and i