wed has been indeed so like a dream," said Comines, "that
I almost expect to awake, and find it so. Only one day since, the Duke
had in council protested so furiously against farther delay that it was
resolved to send a defiance to the King, and march forward instantly
into France. Toison d'Or, commissioned for the purpose, had put on his
official dress, and had his foot in the stirrup to mount his horse, when
lo! the French herald Montjoie rode into our camp.

"We thought of nothing else than that Louis had been beforehand with
our defiance, and began to consider how much the Duke would resent the
advice which had prevented him from being the first to declare war. But
a council being speedily assembled, what was our wonder when the herald
informed us, that Louis, King of France, was scarce an hour's riding
behind, intending to visit Charles, Duke of Burgundy, with a small
retinue, in order that their differences might be settled at a personal
interview!"

"You surprise me, Messires," said Crevecoeur, "yet you surprise me less
than you might have expected, for, when I was last at Plessis les Tours,
the all trusted Cardinal Balue, offended with his master, and Burgundian
at heart, did hint to me that he could so work upon Louis's peculiar
foibles as to lead him to place himself in such a position with regard
to Burgundy that the Duke might have the terms of peace of his own
making. But I never suspected that so old a fox as Louis could have
been induced to come into the trap of his own accord. What said the
Burgundian counsellors?"

"As you may guess," answered D'Hymbercourt, "talked much of faith to be
observed, and little of advantage to be obtained by such a visit, while
it was manifest they thought almost entirely of the last, and were only
anxious to find some way to reconcile it with the necessary preservation
of appearances."

"And what said the Duke?" continued the Count of Crevecoeur.

"Spoke brief and bold as usual," replied Comines. "'Which of you was
it,' he asked, 'who witnessed the meeting of my cousin Louis and
me after the battle of Montl'hery, when I was so thoughtless as to
accompany him back within the intrenchments of Paris with half a score
of attendants, and so put my person at the King's mercy?' I replied,
that most of us had been present, and none could ever forget the alarm
which it had been his pleasure to give us. 'Well,' said the Duke, 'you
blamed me for my folly, and I confessed to you t