Corse de Leon; or, The Brigand: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 2)

by G. P. R. James

  CHAPTER XVI.

  In the great hall of the Louvre, the princes, the nobles, and the ladiesof France--all who had a right, from their rank and station, to bepresent at the great festivals of the court, and all who could by anymeans obtain an invitation from the king himself--were assembled beforethe hour of ten at night, on that occasion to which reference has beenmade in the last chapter. The monarch himself had not yet appeared; butone of those services which Henry principally required from his greatofficers was to entertain with affability and kindness those whom theetiquette of his court obliged him to keep waiting; and, on the night ofwhich we speak, the famous Marquis de Vieilleville in fact, though notostensibly, represented the king, and, aided by a number of othergentlemen and officers commissioned so to do, received the court, andendeavoured to make the time of expectation ere the sovereign's arrivalpass lightly.

  Everything had been done that could be done to give splendour to theapartments, and many of those ornaments and decorations which weattribute to the taste of modern days, but which, in fact, have but comeback again in the constant revolutions of fashion, were displayed onthis occasion to render the scene of royal festivity bright andexciting. Some of the rooms were blazing with light, and covered withevery sort of ornament of gold and silver: rich draperies were hangingfrom the walls, banners waving over head, garlands festooning thecornices, and music floating on the air. In others, again, by somemeans, a green hue had been given to the light, and it had been shadedand kept down to a kind of soft twilight by flowers and green branches;while a cool wind found its way in through open casements andwell-watered plants, and a stillness reigned upon the air only broken bythe far-off sound of the music, the murmur of distant voices, and thesighing of the night air through the gardens.

  We shall pause no more, however, on the decorations of that gay scene,inasmuch as so to do would be merely to give description without anobject; for we have no reason to assign why the reader should bear anypart thereof in mind. It is principally with the great hall we have todo, but more especially still with the people that were in it. Shortlyafter ten the king himself, with his queen, the famous Catharine deMedicis, several of his children--among whom were three destined to bekings, and two queens of mighty nations--entered the hall, and took hisplace towards the head of the room.

  It was very customary in those times to give the balls of the court inopen day; and, though it certainly would strike us as somewhat strangeto see dancing take place except by candlelight--unless, indeed, it wereupon the greensward, where the smiling look of Nature herself seems tojustify and to call for that exuberant life which she first taught inthe world's young days--yet then as gay and as merry dances as any thatwe now behold, took place in the painted saloons, under the somewhat toobright and searching eye of the sun. The whole of that morning, however,had been spent in either business or in festivities of another kind, andthe present was one of those more rare occasions selected, as we havesaid, for a ball at night.

  Shortly after the king entered the room, he spoke a few words to theyoung Count Duilly, then celebrated for his skill and grace in thedance, and he, making his way to the spot where the musicians wereplaced, communicated to them the orders of the king. What was called the_Danse Royale_ was then played; and Henry himself, graceful anddistinguished in every sport and exercise, opened the ball in person.Shortly after, another dance was played; and all who were, or believedthemselves to be, the most skilful of the court, hastened to figure inthe galliarde. Upon the execution of that marvellous performance, thegalliarde, however, perhaps the less we say the better; for it is to beacknowledged that the various names of the wonderful steps danced--thedesportes, capriolles, turns and returns, fleurettes, close anddispersed gamberottes, &c.--convey as little definite idea of what wasreally done to our own mind as they would to the minds of most of ourreaders. It was all very successful, no doubt; and there is much reasonto believe, from the account which Monsieur de Vieilleville himselfwrote on the occasion, that many a young lady's heart was piercedthrough and through by the graces of particular cavaliers.

  The king himself took part in the dance, as we have said, but it was adignified part; and, having set the example, he retired from it asspeedily as possible. When he had done he looked round, as if searchingfor some face he had missed, and his eye soon fell upon the fair Duchessof Valentinois, whom he had not beheld before; for, to say the truth,she had just entered, taking advantage of the general movement round thegalliarde to come in without attracting much attention. Her countenancebore an expression of such unusual gravity, that Henry himself, ere heresumed the place in the saloon where he usually stood on suchoccasions, paused and spoke to her; first playfully scolding Henriettade la Mark for not having joined the dancers, and then asking theduchess, in a lower tone, if anything had gone amiss.

  Diana smiled, and replied, "No, sire, nothing exactly amiss; but I havehad visiters this evening at an unusual hour, and they have beenpressing me to obtain for them an audience of your majesty on this verynight, regarding matters of much importance."

  "Nay, why should that cloud your fair brow?" said the king, in the samelow tone: "I will give them audience ere I go to bed, if my so doingwill please you, bright queen of night. If they can put it off, however,let them come to-morrow, and your name shall open the doors of thecabinet to them, be they the lowliest in the land."

  "That they are not, sire," replied Diana. "They are high enough topresent themselves here this night even unbidden; but I fear thatto-morrow will not do; for, upon your majesty's reply to them, a couriermust depart at once for the South. Still let me say, ere they comeforward--for I see them entering now--that it is not their requestedaudience that makes me somewhat grave; no, nor their pressing for it atan unseasonable hour, but it is that they come to urge upon your majestythe selfsame suit I urged this morning; and, as I then saw that for thefirst time I was doubted and suspected of art, in trying to lead ratherthan to argue with my king, it may now be thought I have some share intheir coming, when, Heaven is my witness, it could take no one more bysurprise than myself."

  "Nay, but what is all this?" demanded the king, in a soothing tone; andthen, suddenly turning to Mademoiselle de la Mark, he exclaimed, "Lo!Henriette--belle Henriette! here comes Damville, all love and ambergris,to claim your fair hand--for the dance. Go with him, lady! Now, Diana,what is this that agitates you thus? Faith, I suspect you not, and neverhave suspected. I did but smile this morning at your eagerness, thoughnatural enough, and to see how we kings find soft leading, and allthings prepared to bring us to that which wise or fair counsellors judgeis for our good; it is the vice of power, my Diana, it is the vice ofpower! As men by years reach childhood again, so kings by power fallinto weakness. But that matters not; your wishes were for the best; and,if there was a little management in the matter, there could be but smalloffence."

  "With one so placable as you are, sire," rejoined the duchess, gazing inhis face with a smile; "but the matter is this: There came to me thisnight the Lord of Masseran--one of your majesty's faithful adherents inSavoy--beseeching that I would obtain for him and for his fair ladyimmediate audience of your majesty on matters that brook no delay. He,judging wrongly that I had some little credit or influence with you,besought me to urge upon your majesty the immediate promulgation of theedict, so long delayed and often spoken of, concerning clandestinemarriages, and besought me to tell you the cause of his application. Allthis I refused to do, telling him that on the subject of the edict I hadalready done my best; that I had pleaded for myself; that I had evenpleaded in behalf of what I thought your majesty's best interest; andthat, having done so, I could not say a word for any other being on theearth. Thus, sire, all I have to request is, that you would hear him andjudge for yourself."

  The expression of Henry's face while she was speaking puzzled not alittle Diana of Poitiers. The king's brow became for a time dark andheavy, and his eye flashed angrily. But then, again, when he saw thatthe lady seemed somewhat alarmed by his look, he s
miled upon her kindly,as if to mark that any feelings of dissatisfaction which he experiencedwere not directed towards herself. His real feelings were explained,however, immediately, by his replying in the same low tone, "He is, Ibelieve, a most consummate villain, this Lord of Masseran; and there isgood reason to suppose he has been playing false both to France andSavoy. He has the very look of a handsome wolf," the king continued,turning his frowning brow to the part of the room towards which the eyesof Diana of Poitiers directed his in search of the Lord of Masseran: "Iwill speak with him presently, however. Let him be taken into the whitechamber, next to that in which they serve the confectionery. Sendlikewise for Bertrandi. He is in my closet. I will join you there in aquarter of an hour. A guard, too, may be wanted before we have done. So,as you pass, bid Beaujolais keep near the door."

  Thus saying, the king turned away and occupied himself with othermatters, speaking to the most distinguished persons present, andlaughing gayly with many a fair dame as he passed along. The duchessremained for a short time where he had left her, not only for thepurpose of preventing her long conversation with the king fromconnecting itself in the suspicions of those around with whatever mighttake place regarding the Lord of Masseran, but also because she had somedoubts as to whether she should herself be present or not at theinterview between the Savoyard nobleman and the king. Henry hadcertainly implied that she was to be present. But she had doubts andfears in regard to meddling too much with the matter; and, if she couldhave trusted to the Lord of Masseran, she certainly would have stayedaway.

  Trust him, however, she could not; for there was something in his wholeaspect, demeanour, and tone which at once inspired suspicion. Indeed, hedid not try to avoid it; for, looking upon skill, cunning, and acutenessas the greatest of human qualities, he made no pretence whatever toeither frankness or sincerity. She still hesitated, however, when theCount de Meyrand, dressed in the most splendid, and, at the same time,the most tasteful habit that perhaps the whole court that nightdisplayed, passed by her as he retired from the dance. He bowed as hedid so with lowly reverence, but, at the same time, with a meaningglance of the eye towards the spot where the Lord of Masseran stood.

  "I must watch what takes place myself," thought the duchess: "I willtake no part in the matter unless there be great need; but I will watchall that is said and done."

  She accordingly drew herself gradually back from the circle, and,choosing a moment when some change in the dance produced a momentaryconfusion, she retired to the room which the king had named.

  A minute or two after, an attendant passed through the ballroom andwhispered a few words to the Lord of Masseran, who instantly followedthe servant, accompanied by a lady who had continued to stand beside himsince his entrance, but to whom he had not addressed more than one ortwo words during the evening. She was a tall and handsome woman, and inher countenance there was certainly some degree of resemblance to thefair Isabel de Brienne. The features, however, though still fine, wereall larger and harsher except the eyes, which were small and of adifferent colour from those of Isabel, being of a keen, eager black. Shewas pale, and looked somewhat out of health; and, mingling with an airof sternness which sat upon her brow, there was an expression of anxietyand grief which made her countenance a painful one to look upon. Itseemed to bear written upon it, in very legible lines, the history of ahaughty spirit broken.

  When the Lord of Masseran and his wife reached the chamber to which theroyal servant conducted them, the Duchess of Valentinois was therealone. She received them affably, but with somewhat of regal state, andbegged the marchioness to seat herself, acting in all things as if thepalace were her own.

  "Is that note for me, Monsieur de Masseran?" she inquired, after havingannounced that the king would join them in a few minutes, and asked somequestions of common courtesy regarding the health of the Marchioness ofMasseran. "Is that note which you hold in your hand for me?"

  "It is, madam," replied the other. "It is from Monsieur de Brienne, whomwe left booted and spurred, with his horses at the door, ready to mountat a moment's notice."

  The duchess took the note and read. "Madame," it ran, "I am readypromptly to set out for the frontier of Savoy as soon as my errand isclearly ascertained. My dear sister Isabel is either the wife of myearliest friend Bernard de Rohan, to whom she was promised by my father,and to whom it is my first wish she should be united, or the marriagewhich I understand has taken place is null. If she be his wife, Heavenforbid that I should make even an attempt to separate them, which I amsure De Rohan would instantly and justly resist. If, however, the king,by an edict which I must not dare to impugn, has thought fit, as I amtold, to declare such marriages void, whether past or future, it, ofcourse, becomes my duty immediately to seek my sister, and to keep herwith me till such time as we obtain his majesty's permission for herfinal union to my friend. But I must first be positively certified thatsuch an edict has been signed. If I can show this to De Rohan, I knowhim too well to doubt his conduct; but, if I cannot show it to him, Imust not and dare not attempt measures towards him which he wouldinfallibly resist. At the same time, madam, let me tell you, with allrespect, that I find I have been trifled with; that false informationregarding De Rohan's movements has been given me, in order to prevent myjoining him at Grenoble, as he wished; and that I am certain my sisterIsabel has been driven to give her hand thus suddenly to her promisedhusband by circumstances of which we are not aware."

  "More good sense than I gave him credit for," said the duchess, musing.

  "May I be permitted, madam, to see the note which has excited youradmiration?" inquired the Lord of Masseran, with a quiet sneer.

  "Nay, Monsieur de Masseran," answered the duchess, "it was not writtenfor the public benefit."

  "And, doubtless," continued the Lord of Masseran, "as the younggentleman was not in the sweetest of moods, it was not written for myprivate benefit either?"

  "He never mentions your name, my lord," replied the duchess, "nor speaksof you in any way. But here comes my good lord the chancellor: the kingwill not be long."

  Her prediction was verified, for Bertrandi had scarcely entered the roomwhen Henry himself appeared, accompanied by his son, afterward Francisthe Second, and followed by a page, who placed himself at the door toprevent any one from entering without permission. Every one present drewback as the king appeared, and bowed low; while, with a frowning brow,he crossed the cabinet, and seated himself at a small table. The dauphinthen took a place upon his father's right hand, and the chancellor,after a deprecatory bow to the Duchess of Valentinois, advanced to theking's left.

  "I grieve, madam," said Henry, addressing the Marchioness de Masseran,in a courteous tone, "I grieve to see you apparently so much altered inhealth. It would seem that the air of Savoy--that pure, fine air--suitsnot your constitution. We must keep you more with us in Paris."

  "I have been suffering some anxiety and grief, sire," replied the lady,while the eyes of the Lord of Masseran were bent keenly and fiercelyupon her.

  "Most sorry am I to hear it," replied the king. "We believed that, inproviding for you so noble and high a husband as the Lord of Masseran,we should have moved grief and anxiety from you altogether. We trustthat we have not been deceived in this noble lord," continued the king,gazing sternly upon the Savoyard.

  "Your majesty has, I believe, been mistaken in what this dear andexcellent lady said," replied the Lord of Masseran; "I discovered nocharge against myself in her words. Was there any, dear lady?"

  "Oh, no," replied the lady, quickly, and, it seemed, fearfully; "none,none; I spoke alone of the grief and anxiety which, as you know, I camehither to lay before his majesty, if we were fortunate enough to findaudience."

  "Then I will beg you, madam," said the king, "to lay it before me atonce, and fully, confiding in me entirely as you would in a brother, andremembering that, whoever be the offender, you have in the king one whocan protect as well as punish, and who will protect wherever he seeswrong offered or evil suffered."

>   The lady gave a momentary glance at her husband, as if of timid inquiry.It was like a child saying its lesson, and looking up for a word ofdirection or encouragement. "I thank your majesty much," she said, "foryour gracious promise, and I come to you with full confidence, feelingthat you will grant me redress for what I consider a great injury. Mycomplaint is this: that a gentleman of high rank and station, connectedwith some of the highest families of this realm, a distinguished soldieralso, and one who has hitherto borne a high character--has, whilepretending to carry on the war in Piedmont, and commanding certainbodies of your majesty's troops--has, I say, clandestinely carried awaymy daughter, Isabel de Brienne, during the temporary absence of myhusband, Monsieur de Masseran. He had even induced a priest to performthe marriage ceremony between him and her, when the fortunate return ofmy husband at the very moment enabled him to seize them at the altar. Isay, sire, that this is my complaint, and for this I beg redress; themore so, indeed, inasmuch as this very gentleman who has so acted waswell aware that your majesty had expressed yourself strongly againstsuch clandestine marriages, and had even proposed an edict declaringthem void and of no effect."

  "Pray who is this gentleman?" demanded the king, in a stern tone. "Byyour showing, madam, he has acted bitterly wrong, and, unless someextenuations appear, he shall be most severely punished; nor shall thatpunishment be the less on account of his rank, distinction, andservices, as he could neither plead ignorance, inexperience, nor folly."

  The features of the Lord of Masseran relaxed into a dark smile; and thelady replied, "His name, sire, was once dear and familiar to me andmine--it is Bernard, baron de Rohan."

  "What! our good friend and daring captain?" exclaimed the king; "this isindeed too bad. Monsieur de Rohan ought to have known that he hadnothing to do but to apply to ourself, not only at once to obtain ourroyal permission, but also to induce us to use every argument with suchof the lady's family as might be opposed to his wishes."

  "Sire," replied the lady, taking advantage of a pause in the king'sanswer, "this gentleman has acted ill in all respects. He neither putconfidence in your majesty nor in me; he never even applied for myconsent; he has never seen me since he crossed the Alps."

  "This is altogether amiss," replied the king. "You say they areseparated," he continued, in a musing tone; "where is the young lady? Iwould fain see and speak with her."

  Such communication would not have suited the purposes of the Lord ofMasseran, even had it been possible to produce Isabel of Brienne; andnow, having seen his wife make her formal complaint exactly as he couldhave wished, he took the rest of the business out of her hands, fearfullest she might make some rash admission. "Alas! sire," he said, "it isimpossible that your majesty's commands can be complied with; not onlyis the lady not with us in Paris, but she has escaped from the hands ofthose into whose charge I gave her. Where she is, and what doing, weknow not; and it is under these circumstances that we come to yourmajesty, not so much for redress as for aid."

  "This complicates the matter, indeed," said Henry; "have you, then,reason to suppose that she has rejoined him?"

  "No, sire," replied the Lord of Masseran, "not so at all; for I venturedto take a step which--although, of course, on my own territories I amfree and independent, as lord and sovereign--I would not have done, hadI not been aware that your majesty is as just as you are powerful. Ifound one of your majesty's subjects upon my territories committing anunlawful act, for which I would have punished any of my own vassals withdeath, and I ventured--"

  "You did not kill him?" exclaimed the king, starting.

  "Oh no, sire, no," replied the Savoyard; "I never dreamed of such athing. I ventured to arrest and imprison him, in order to prevent theevil being carried farther; and, having done so, I set out immediatelyto cast myself at your majesty's feet, to inform you exactly how I hadacted, to beg your forgiveness for having imprisoned one of yoursubjects, and to place the decision of his fate entirely in the hands ofyour majesty."

  "You have acted well and wisely," replied the king; "and, such being thecase, you shall not only have aid, but redress. The edict which renderssuch clandestine marriages null and void shall be signed this instant,and shall be registered by our Parliament to-morrow. My lord thecardinal, we trust that you come as well prepared this afternoon as youwere this morning. Have you the edict with you now?"

  "I have not, your majesty," replied Bertrandi; "but it is in yourmajesty's cabinet."

  "Let it be brought instantly," said the king. "This new example of thefault which it is destined to amend, not only fully justifies the act,but also peremptorily requires the clause which remedies the evil justcommitted. Nor shall this be the only punishment which shall fall uponthe head of him who has so far neglected what was due to himself and tous. He must be summoned to Paris immediately; and, in the mean time,means must also be taken to bring this refractory girl also to ourcourt. Be quick, good cardinal, for we must not be long absent from thehall."

  The dauphin listened to his father in silence, and with an air of deepreverence. "I trust, sire," he said, at length, as soon as he perceivedthat the king, having given his orders, was turning once more to addressthe Marquis of Masseran, "I trust that there are some circumstances inthe case of Monsieur de Rohan which may mitigate your majesty's angerwhen known. It seems to me that Monsieur de Masseran has not beencompletely explicit on one or two subjects; may I presume to ask him afew questions in your majesty's presence?"

  "Certainly, Francis," replied the king. "It gives me always pleasure tosee you exercise your judgment and powers of mind on subjects ofimportance."

  The young prince bowed with an ingenuous blush, while the Marquis ofMasseran turned a shade paler than usual, and bent down his eyes uponthe ground before the boy of sixteen, who now advanced a step toquestion him. "You tell us, Monsieur le Marquis," he said, "that theBaron de Rohan did not even apply for the consent of your fair lady: mayI ask if he ever presented himself at your palace, or chateau, orwhatever it may be, for the purpose of so doing?"

  "It was the marchioness who said so, not I," replied the Lord ofMasseran: "I was absent at the time."

  "At what time?" demanded the prince, sharply; and, seeing the Savoyardhesitate, he added, "Did or did not Monsieur de Rohan come to yourgates? and was he or was he not refused admission?"

  "I believe he did," said the Marquis of Masseran, "I believe he didpresent himself at the gates when I was absent."

  "He himself believed that you were not absent," replied the youth, withroyal sternness, while the king felt no little surprise to find that hisson had so intimate a knowledge of the facts in question; and theMarquis of Masseran, still more surprised, concealed his astonishmentless skilfully than the monarch. "On my word, your highness," he said,"on my life, I was absent."

  "But yet, Monsieur de Masseran," continued the prince, "you wereperfectly well aware that Monsieur de Rohan presented himself at yourgates, demanding to speak with yourself, in the first place, and then,in your absence, with this fair lady your wife, who certainly was withinthe chateau; and yet you suffered her--unconsciously upon her part, nodoubt--to lead his majesty to believe that her approbation had not beensought and was utterly contemned. This was not right, sir, for it wasmisleading the king."

  "You speak well and wisely, Francis," said his father: "go on, my dearboy, go on, if you have anything more to ask."

  "One or two things more, may it please your majesty," he replied, with alook of pride in his father's approbation, but keeping his eyes stillfixed upon the Lord of Masseran. "My next question is: as the young ladyhas a brother, who is her next male relation, did he or did he not givehis consent to the marriage of Monsieur de Rohan with his sister?"

  "In regard to that, sir, I can say nothing," replied the Lord ofMasseran. "Monsieur de Brienne, your highness, is not under my chargeand guidance. All I have to say is, that his mother most positivelyrefused her consent."

  "It might be more straightforward, sir," replied the prince, "to saywhether, to your kn
owledge, Monsieur de Brienne consented or not."

  "I think, monseigneur," said Diana of Poitiers, taking a step forward,"I think I may reply fully to your question, which Monsieur de Masseranseems not inclined to do. Henry de Brienne always has approved of hissister's marriage to Bernard de Rohan, and Monsieur and Madame deMasseran are amply aware of the fact."

  "I do not deny it," said Madame de Masseran, sharply. "He is aheadstrong and unruly boy."

  "One question more," said the prince, "and I have done. Is not Bernardde Rohan justified, to a certain degree, in that which he has done, by awritten promise of Mademoiselle de Brienne's hand, given to him by herown father shortly before the good count's death? I ask you, madam, isnot this the case?"

  "It is the case that he has such a promise," replied Madame de Masseran,in the same shrewish tone, "but not that he is justified by it, yourhighness. That promise never had either my consent or approbation;though the late Monsieur de Brienne, who was his guardian and broughthim up, was foolishly fond of this boy, and thought that he waseverything great and noble, I had always different views for mydaughter, and never either directly or indirectly countenanced thatpromise."

  "I am in no way interested in this business, sire," said the dauphin,turning towards his father, "not being personally acquainted in theslightest degree with Monsieur de Rohan; but I thought it necessary toask these few questions in your majesty's presence, in consequence ofinformation I had received in a somewhat circuitous manner. Having thusfar elicited the truth, which was at first evidently concealed from you,your majesty's wisdom must decide the rest--"

  "This is the edict, sire," said the Cardinal Bertrandi, re-entering thechamber; "it wants but your royal signature and the great seal. May Ioffer you the pen?" and, thus saying, he spread the parchment on thetable before the king.

  Henry took the pen, paused for a moment, and then turned his eyes uponthe Duchess of Valentinois. She looked down upon the ground, however,and uttered not a word. The king dipped the pen in the ink and wrote hisname at the bottom of the edict. The chancellor countersigned it, andraised it from the table.

  "Now, Diana," said Henry, in a low voice, turning to the duchess, "whatthink you?"

  "That your majesty has done perfectly right," replied the lady, in thesame low tone. "Not that this poor Bernard de Rohan, it would appear, isreally to blame."

  "I do not know," replied the king, "I do not know; but we shall soonsee. The question must be inquired into," he added, in a louder voice."I will hear all parties, and then decide. For the present, the marriageis annulled. Monsieur de Masseran, hasten back to Savoy, and instantlyset the Baron de Rohan at liberty. Let some one proceed immediately--herbrother will be the best, the fittest, the only fit person. Let himimmediately proceed to seek for Mademoiselle de Brienne, and bring herto Paris without loss of time. You, Monsieur de Masseran, will commandDe Rohan, in our name, to present himself in the capital within fourteendays from the date of his liberation by your hand. You will do well alsoto come hither yourself as speedily as may be; for our good friendBrissac, who is somewhat of a sanguinary person to deal with, hasconceived an objection to the frequent passing of couriers through yourpart of the country. It were well to keep out of Brissac's way. My goodLord Cardinal, see that all things requisite be done, and also that theedict be duly registered in the Parliament to-morrow. Come, Francis,come. We shall have all the world marvelling at our absence."