on placed a golden spatula on Francois' lips; after a few seconds, he
looked at it carefully and said:

"Monseigneur is dead."

Whereupon a deep prolonged groan arose from the antechamber, like an
accompaniment to the psalm which the cardinal murmured: "Cedant
iniquitates meae ad vocem deprecationis meae."

"Dead," repeated the king, making the sign of the cross as he sat in his
fauteuil; "my brother, my brother!"

"The sole heir of the throne of France," murmured Catherine, who, having
quitted the bed whereon the corpse was lying, had placed herself beside
the only son who now remained to her.

"Oh!" said Henri, "this throne of France is indeed large for a king
without issue; the crown is indeed large for a single head. No children!
no heirs! Who will succeed me?"

Hardly had he pronounced these words when a loud noise was heard on the
staircase and in the apartments.

Nambu hurriedly entered the death chamber, and announced--"His Highness
Monseigneur le Duc de Guise."

Struck by this reply to the question which he had addressed to himself,
the king turned pale, rose, and looked at his mother. Catherine was
paler than her son. At the announcement of the horrible misfortune
which mere chance had foretold to his race, she grasped the king's hand,
and pressed it, as if to say--

"There lies the danger; but fear nothing, I am near you."

The son and mother, under the influence of the same terror and the same
menace, had comprehended each other.

The duke entered, followed by his officers. He entered, holding his head
loftily erect, although his eyes ranged from the king to the death-bed
of his brother with a glance not free from a certain embarrassment.

Henri III. stood up, and with that supreme majesty of carriage which, on
certain occasions, his singularly poetic nature enabled him to assume,
checked the duke's further progress by a kingly gesture, and pointed to
the royal corpse upon the bed, the covering of which was in disorder
from his brother's dying agonies. The duke bowed his head, and slowly
fell on his knees. All around him, too, bowed their heads and bent their
knees. Henri III., together with his mother, alone remained standing,
and bent a last look, full of pride, upon those around him. Chicot
observed this look, and murmured in a low tone of voice, "Dejiciet
potentes de sede et exaltabit humiles"--"He hath put down the mighty
from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek."

POS