udience was concerned, he was more than an hour before he could
obtain it.

The prince, some told him, was in his apartments; others said he was
asleep; he was practicing music, the valet-de-chambre supposed. No one,
however, among the attendants could give a positive reply.

Henri persisted, in order that he might no longer have to think of his
service on the king, so that he might abandon himself from that moment
to his melancholy thoughts unrestrained.

Won over by his perseverance, it being well known too that he and his
brother were on the most intimate terms with the duke, Henri was ushered
into one of the salons on the first floor, where the prince at last
consented to receive him.

Half an hour passed away, and the shades of evening insensibly closed
in.

The heavy and measured footsteps of the Duc d'Anjou resounded in the
gallery, and Henri, on recognizing them, prepared to discharge his
mission with the accustomed formal ceremonies. But the prince, who
seemed very much pressed, quickly dispensed with these formalities on
the part of his ambassador, by taking him by the hand and embracing him.

"Good-day, comte," he said; "why should they have given you the trouble
to come and see a poor defeated general?"

"The king has sent me, monseigneur, to inform you that he is exceedingly
desirous of seeing your highness, and that in order to enable you to
recover from your fatigue, his majesty will himself come and pay a visit
to Chateau-Thierry, to-morrow at the latest."

"The king will be here to-morrow!" exclaimed Francois, with a gesture of
impatience, but recovering himself immediately afterward.

"To-morrow, to-morrow," he resumed; "why, the truth is, that nothing
will be in readiness, either here or in the town, to receive his
majesty."

Henri bowed, as one whose duty it had been to transmit an order, but
whose province it was not to comment upon it.

"The extreme haste which their majesties have to see your royal
highness has not allowed them to think of the embarrassment they may be
the means of occasioning."

"Well, well," said the prince, hurriedly, "it is for me to make the best
use of the time I have at my disposal. I leave you, therefore, Henri;
thanks for the alacrity you have shown, for you have traveled fast, I
perceive. Go and take some rest."

"Your highness has no other orders to communicate to me?" Henri
inquired, respectfully.

"None. Go and lie down. You shall dine in your own ap