The King's Esquires; Or, The Jewel of France

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

  A DEATH WARRANT.

  "Well," said the King, on the following evening, "you have themprisoners?"

  "Yes, Sire."

  "Safely?"

  "They are back in their old apartments, sir," replied the chamberlain.

  "What, not imprisoned?"

  "No, Sire; they are carefully watched, but they are still your Majesty'sguests."

  "Absurd!" cried the King fiercely. "This man can be no ambassador. Heis a marauder, a masquerader, who came to my court to act the commonthief."

  "But the letter, Sire, of which he was the bearer?"

  "Is as false as everything else concerning him. My guests!" cried theKing fiercely. "My prisoners! This man shall die."

  "But that will not restore the jewel, Sire."

  "What!" cried the King angrily. "Have you not got it?"

  "No, Sire. They were carefully searched, but it was not found."

  "Then he shall be forced to confess where it is."

  "I have not told your Majesty all yet," said the chamberlain.

  "Then why have you not?" cried the King fiercely. "Speak out, man;speak out!"

  "Your Majesty checked me," replied the chamberlain deprecatingly, "TheComte was--"

  "The Comte!" cried the King contemptuously.

  "Then this member of the Valois family, as you believe he is."

  "But no--absurd! Let him be the Comte de la Seine; one who has comehere under false pretences, a pretender. Whoever he is, he is my enemy,fate has placed him in my hands, and he shall die--ay, if it costs me awar with France. But mark me well--he dies as the thief who under themask of a French nobleman entered my palace to plunder. The world shallsee in this matter only the just punishment of a crime." And as hespoke the King drew towards him paper and seized a pen. "Short andsharp punishment," he said, "and in thus acting I clear the way to thethrone which by rights is mine."

  The chamberlain stretched out his hand in an imploring gesture, thewhile a mocking smile played about the King's lips.

  "Sire," he said, "hesitate now. Think well of what you are about to do.Heaven could let no good come of it, and the day will dawn when youwill rue the committal of a crime."

  "Hurst!" exclaimed the King angrily; but the chamberlain dropped on oneknee.

  "Your Majesty, let me plead for this stranger who came to your Court--"

  "As a thief."

  "No, Sire; as a patriot who had determined to obtain the jewel which inthe old time belonged to his ancestors' crown."

  "That is naught," said Henry. "This man shall die." And he raised thepen once more.

  "You who are so great a king, Sire, should be magnanimous here. Thisnight, Sire, is your own, to do good or ill; but it will be the darkestof your reign if that warrant is signed."

  "But why do you intercede?" asked Henry, and he threw himself back inhis chair. "Francis is nothing to you."

  "The life of a noble prince, Sire, is much to all the world, and--"

  "You know him?" interrupted the King sharply.

  "Last year in Paris, Sire, he befriended my brother, who could speaknothing of him but good; and I have not told you, Sire, that he is veryill."

  "Bah!" cried the King.

  "Deadly sick from his wound, Sire."

  "His wound!" said the King, starting.

  "Yes, Sire. In the daring escape, when two of the guards and Sir RobertGarstang were wounded, the Comte was struck down by one of your bravehalberdiers."

  "And serve the villain right," cried the King impetuously. "Bravefellow! has he been rewarded?"

  "No, Sire. That is left for your Majesty to do."

  "And it shall be done, on my royal word," cried the King. "Wounded andsick, say you?"

  "Yes, Sire; I have seen him, and he is very weak."

  "Well," said the King, "you have done your part in your appeal. But Ihave made up my mind to this." And as he spoke the King drew himself upin his chair once more and seized his pen.

  Hurst watched as if fascinated, seeing the King commence to write, andthen toss the pen aside as he finished, while afterwards he was about tosummon the officer of the guards without, but checked himself, extendinghis hand to Hurst, who bent over it.

  "I will not doubt you," he said, handing him the warrant. "Deliver itto the governor." And then with a wave of the hand he dismissed thechamberlain, who withdrew.

  Outside the chamber, Hurst proceeded a short distance down a corridor,and then gazed at the document by the light of a swinging lamp.

  "The death warrant of the King of France," he mused, as he noted thewords condemning the Comte de la Seine to die, and then the formula: "Bythe King. Given at our Court at Windsor--Henry R."

  He went on slowly along the corridor till he had passed beyond theKing's private apartments, and, as if drawn by some attraction, made hisway in the direction of the chamber where Francis was lying sufferingfrom his wound.

  "Bad, bad, bad," he muttered to himself. "I must be right, and Franciswas ill-advised, if advised at all, and not led by his own impetuousnature to play such a trick as this. Well, he gambled with his life,and he has lost. What is it to me? I have my duty to perform. But Iwould give something now for the instinct of the prophet, to be able tosee what this will mean in the future to France and to my own countrywhen it is known."

  He walked on dreamily, and then started, for he found that he hadunconsciously drawn near to Francis's chamber, and he hesitated, halfdisposed to go in and see how he fared; but he frowned and went on.

  "No," he said, "I have my own head to think of, and my movements may bemisconstrued by the most jealous man that ever sat upon a throne."

  He was passing slowly on in the gloomiest part by the door, when hestarted, for some one had silently glided out of the opening and pluckedhim by the sleeve.

  "My lord," whispered a voice.

  "Ah!" exclaimed Hurst. "You are the doctor, the Comte's follower withthe strange eye. What of your master? How is he now?"

  "Bad," said Leoni softly.

  "So much the better," said Hurst bitterly. "Insensible?"

  "At times, my lord."

  "Better still."

  "You speak strangely, my lord."

  "These are strange times, my man. I spoke so out of sympathy with yourmaster. It may save him further pain."

  "Further pain?" said Leoni, earning the chamberlain's term of the man"with the strange eye" by the peculiarly fixed look which was dimlyseen.

  "Yes, further pain. People who are insensible do not suffer, do they,doctor?"

  "No, my lord; but what do you mean?"

  "What is the meed of a thief who robs a king? Is it not death?" criedHurst fiercely; and as he spoke he stretched out one hand and tapped itsharply with the folded warrant that he held.

  "Hah!" ejaculated Leoni harshly, and then almost as fiercely as thechamberlain he whispered, "Would he dare to raise his hand against theambassador of France?"

  "No, sir," said the chamberlain coldly, "but against the thief of thenight, who abused his hospitality that he might steal. Hark ye, man; ifyou have your master's interest at heart, tell him to try to make hispeace with the King by telling him where the jewel lies, for it must besomewhere concealed. Let him give it up and crave the King's mercy,before it is too late. Do this, and it may save your life as well."

  He turned away, leaving Leoni standing motionless a short distance fromthe door, where he remained without stirring until the chamberlain'sfootsteps had died away.