all past sins, and one--one little
deed which I must do this night--nay, it is no sin, dearest Lady of
Clery--no sin, but an act of justice privately administered, for the
villain is the greatest impostor that ever poured falsehood into a
Prince's ear, and leans besides to the filthy heresy of the Greeks. He
is not deserving of thy protection, leave him to my care; and hold it as
good service that I rid the world of him, for the man is a necromancer
and wizard, that is not worth thy thought and care--a dog, the
extinction of whose life ought to be of as little consequence in thine
eyes as the treading out a spark that drops from a lamp, or springs from
a fire. Think not of this little matter, gentlest, kindest Lady, but
only consider how thou canst best aid me in my troubles! and I here,
bind my royal signet to thy effigy, in token that I will keep word
concerning the county of Champagne, and that this shall be the last time
I will trouble thee in affairs of blood, knowing thou art so kind, so
gentle, and so tender hearted."

[As overheard and reported by the court jester this historic prayer
reads as follows: "Ah, my good Lady, my gentle mistress, my only friend,
in whom alone I have resource, I pray you to supplicate God in my
behalf, and to be my advocate with him that he may pardon me the death
of my brother whom I caused to be poisoned by that wicked Abbot of Saint
John. I confess my guilt to thee as to my good patroness and mistress.
But then what could I do? he was perpetually causing disorder in my
kingdom. Cause me then to be pardoned, my good Lady, and I know what a
reward I will give thee."]

After this extraordinary contract with the object of his adoration,
Louis recited, apparently with deep devotion, the seven penitential
psalms [the 6th, 32d, 38th, 51st, 102d, 130th, and 143d, so called from
their penitential character] in Latin, and several aves and prayers
especially belonging to the service of the Virgin. He then arose,
satisfied that he had secured the intercession of the Saint to whom he
had prayed, the rather, as he craftily reflected, that most of the sins
for which he had requested her mediation on former occasions had been of
a different character, and that, therefore, the Lady of Clery was less
likely to consider him as a hardened and habitual shedder of blood than
the other saints whom he had more frequently made confidants of his
crimes in that respect.

When he had thus cleared his consci