ith
a clash on the table. 'Ventre Saint Gris!' he exclaimed with a strange
thrill of yearning in his tone. 'I swear by God, I would I were in your
shoes, sir. To strike a blow or two with no care what came of it. To
take the road with a good horse and a good sword, and see what fortune
would send. To be rid of all this statecraft and protocolling, and never
to issue another declaration in this world, but just to be for once a
Gentleman of France, with all to win and nothing to lose save the love
of my lady! Ah! Mornay, would it not be sweet to leave all this fret and
fume, and ride away to the green woods by Coarraze?'

'Certainly, if you prefer them to the Louvre, sire,' Du Mornay answered
drily; while I stood, silent and amazed, before this strange man, who
could so suddenly change from grave to gay, and one moment spoke so
sagely, and the next like any wild lad in his teens. 'Certainly,' he
answered, 'if that be your choice, sire; and if you think that even
there the Duke of Guise will leave you in peace. Turenne, I am sure,
will be glad to hear of your decision. Doubtless he will be elected
Protector of the Churches. Nay, sire, for shame!' Du Mornay continued
almost with sternness. 'Would you leave France, which at odd times I
have heard you say you loved, to shift for herself? Would you deprive
her of the only man who does love her for her own sake?'

'Well, well, but she is such a fickle sweetheart, my friend,' the king
answered, laughing, the side glance of his eye on me. 'Never was one so
coy or so hard to clip! And, besides, has not the Pope divorced us?'

'The Pope! A fig for the Pope!' Du Mornay rejoined with impatient heat.
'What has he to do with France? An impertinent meddler, and an Italian
to boot! I would he and all the brood of them were sunk a hundred
fathoms deep in the sea. But, meantime, I would send him a text to
digest.'

'EXEMPLUM?' said the king.

'Whom God has joined together let no man put asunder.'

'Amen! quoth Henry softly. 'And France is a fair and comely bride.'

After that he kept such a silence, falling as it seemed to me into a
brown study, that he went away without so much as bidding me farewell,
or being conscious, as far as I could tell, of my presence. Du Mornay
exchanged a few words with me, to assure himself that I understood what
I had to do, and then, with many kind expressions, which I did not fail
to treasure up and con over in the times that were coming, hastened
do