CHAPTER XX
OF THE USEFULNESS OF FRIENDS
Now let us allow Aloyse to go on and finish her tale, having narrated these preliminary facts by way of explanation of what is to come.
"My husband, brave Perrot," she said to Gabriel, who was all rapt attention, "had not failed to hear the reports which were on everybody's lips about Madame Diane, and all the sport that was made of Monsieur de Montgommery; but he did not know whether it was his duty to warn his master, who he saw continued trustful and happy, or whether he should hold his peace about the shameful plot in which this ambitious woman had involved him. He told me of his hesitation, for I used to give him very good advice, and he had put my discretion and my loyalty to the proof; but in this matter I was as undecided as he as to what course we should take.
"One evening we were sitting in this very room, Monseigneur and Perrot and I; for the count never treated us as servants, but as friends, and had chosen to retain, even here in Paris, the patriarchal custom of passing winter evenings current in Normandy, where the master and his retainers used to warm themselves at the same fire after working together through the day. The count, buried in thought, his head resting on his hand, was sitting before the fire. He used commonly to pass the evening with Madame de Poitiers; but for some time she had very frequently sent word to him that she was ill and could not receive him. He was thinking about her, no doubt, while Perrot was fitting the straps of a cuirass, and I was spinning.
"It was the 7th of January, 1539, a cold and rainy evening, and the day after the Epiphany. Remember that ill-omened date, Monseigneur."
Gabriel nodded to show that no word escaped him, and Aloyse continued,—
"All at once Monsieur de Langeais, Monsieur de Boutières, and the Comte de Sancerre were announced,—three gentlemen of the court, friends of Monseigneur, but much closer friends of Madame d'Étampes. All three were wrapped in great dark cloaks; and although they came in laughing, I seemed to feel that they brought disaster with them; and my instinct, alas! was not far out of the way.
"The Comte de Montgommery rose and advanced to greet the new-comers with the hospitable and courtly manner which became him so well.
"'Welcome, my friends!' said he to the three, as he shook hands with them.
"At a sign from him I came forward to take their cloaks, and all of them sat down.
"'What good fortune brings you to my poor quarters?' the count asked.
"'A threefold bet,' replied Monsieur de Boutières; 'and your presence here, my dear Count, wins mine for me on the spot.'
"'As for mine,' said Monsieur de Langeais, 'it was won before we came here.'
"'And mine,' said the Comte de Sancerre, 'I shall win in a moment, as you will see.'
"'What were your bets, pray, gentlemen?' said Montgommery.
"'Well,' said Monsieur de Boutières, 'Langeais here made a bet with D'Enghien that the Dauphin would not be at the Louvre this evening. We have been there, and have duly decided that D'Enghien has lost.'
"'As for De Boutières,' said the Comte de Sancerre, 'he bet with Monsieur de Montejan that you would be at home this evening, my dear Count; and you see that he has won.'
"'And you have won, too, Sancerre, I'll warrant,' said Monsieur de Langeais; 'for in fact the three bets were really but one, and we must win or lose together. Sancerre, Monsieur de Montgommery, bet one hundred pistoles with D'Aussun that Madame de Poitiers was ill this evening.'
"Your father, Gabriel, turned fearfully pale.
"'You have won, too, Monsieur de Sancerre,' said he, with a trembling voice; 'for Madame la Grande Sénéchale just now sent word to me that she could receive no one this evening on account of a sudden indisposition.'
"'There,' cried Monsieur de Sancerre, 'just as I said! You will bear witness for me to D'Aussun, gentlemen, that he owes me a hundred pistoles.'
"Then they all fell to laughing like madmen; but the Comte de Montgommery remained very grave.
"'Now, my good friends,' said he, with an accent not free from bitterness, 'will you kindly explain this riddle for me?'
"'With all my heart, upon my word!' said Monsieur de Boutières; 'but first send these good people away.'
"We were already at the door, Perrot and I; but Monseigneur motioned for us to remain.
"'These are devoted friends of mine,' he said to the young gentlemen; 'and as I have nothing to blush for, I have nothing to conceal.'
"'As you choose!' said Monsieur de Langeais; 'it seems rather provincial, but the matter concerns you more than us, Count. And I am sure, too, that they must know the great secret, for it has made the circuit of the whole town; and you will be the last one to hear it, as is generally the case.'
"'Tell me, I beg you!' exclaimed Monsieur de Montgommery.
"'My dear Count,' resumed Monsieur de Langeais, 'we are going to tell you, because it pains us deeply to see a brave and courteous gentleman like yourself so deceived; but if we do tell you, it is only on condition that you accept the revelation philosophically,—that is to say, with a laugh,—for the whole matter is not worth your anger, I assure you; and then, too, any outburst of wrath would be disarmed beforehand.'
"'We shall see! I am waiting,' replied Monseigneur, coldly.
"'Dear Count,'—Monsieur de Boutières it was who spoke now, the youngest and most heedless of the three,—'you are acquainted with mythology, are you not? No doubt you know the story of Endymion? But what do you think was Endymion's age at the time of his liaison with Diane Phœbé? If you imagine that he was in the neighborhood of forty, you are mistaken, my dear fellow, for he was less than twenty, and hadn't a sign of a beard even. I know that from my governor, who has the whole story at his tongue's end. And that is how it happens that Endymion on this particular evening is not at the Louvre; and that Dame Luna is in bed and not to be seen, probably on account of the storm; and lastly, that you are at home, Monsieur de Montgommery,—whence it follows that my governor is a great man, and that we have won our three bets. Vive la joie!'
"'Your proofs?' asked the count, coldly.
"'Proofs!' replied Monsieur de Langeais, 'why, you can go and seek those for yourself. Don't you live within two steps of La Luna?'
"'Very true. Thanks!' was the count's only reply.
"He rose from his chair; and the three friends had to rise too, chilled and rather alarmed by Monsieur de Montgommery's stern and forbidding demeanor.
"'Come, come, Count,' said Monsieur de Sancerre, 'don't go and do anything foolish or imprudent! And remember that it is as dangerous to rub against the lion's whelp as against the lion himself.'
"'Don't be alarmed,' replied the count.
"'At least you don't intend to do yourself any harm?'
"'That's as it may be,' said he.
"He showed them to the door, or rather almost pushed them out, and then, coming back, said to Perrot,—
"'My cloak and my sword.'
"Perrot brought them to him.
"'Is it true that you knew this thing, you two?' asked the count, adjusting his sword.
"'Yes, Monseigneur,' replied Perrot, looking at the floor.
"'Why didn't you give me some warning of it, Perrot?'
"'But, Monseigneur—' my husband began falteringly.
"'Oh, it's all right; you are not my friends, you two, but just good people, that's all.'
"He tapped his squire on the shoulder good-naturedly. He was very pale, but spoke with a sort of solemn calmness. Again he said to Perrot,—
"'Is it a long while that these reports have been circulating?'
"'Monseigneur,' said Perrot, 'it is five months that you have been in love with Madame de Poitiers; and your marriage was arranged to take place in November. I am assured that Monseigneur le Dauphin has been in love with Madame Diane since about a month after she welcomed your addresses. However, it is hardly more than two months since it has been talked about, and personally I have known of it for only a fortnight. The rumors did not take definite shape until the postponement of the wedding, and the talk has been mostly under the rose, for fear of Monseigneur le Dauphin. Only yesterday I whipped one of Monsieur de la Garde's people for having the face to laugh about it in my hearing; and Monsieur de la Garde didn't dare to say a word.'
"'They shall not laugh any more about it,' said Monseigneur, in a tone that made me fairly shudder.
"When he was ready to depart, he passed his hand across his forehead, and said,—
"'Aloyse, bring Gabriel to me; I want to kiss him.'
"You were sleeping, Monseigneur Gabriel,—sleeping calmly like a little cherub; and you began to cry when I woke you and took you from your bed. I wrapped you in a blanket, and thus carried you to your father. He took you in his arms, gazed at you for some time without a word, as if to take his fill of the sight of you, then pressed a kiss upon your half-closed eyes. At the same time a tear fell on your rosy cheek,—the first tear which he, the strong proud man, had ever shed before me. He gave you back to my arms, saying,—
"'I commend my child to you, Aloyse.'
"Alas! they were the last words he ever said to me. They have remained where they fell, and I seem to hear them always.
"'I am going with you, Monseigneur,' said my good Perrot then.
"'No, Perrot. I must go alone. Do you stay here.'
"'But, Monseigneur—'
"'I wish it so,' said he.
"It was useless to protest further, when he spoke thus, and Perrot therefore remained silent. The count took our hands.
"'Adieu, my dear friends,' said he; 'no, not adieu! au revoir'
"And then he went away, calmly and with a firm step, as if he were going to return in a quarter of an hour.
"Perrot said not a word; but as soon as his master was out of the house, he too took down his cloak and his sword. We didn't exchange a word, and I made no attempt to prevent his going; he did but his duty in following the count, though it were to his death. He held out his arms to me, and I threw myself weeping into them; then having kissed me most tenderly, he followed Monsieur de Montgommery's footsteps. All this had not taken a minute, and we had not exchanged one word.
"Left alone, I fell upon a chair, sobbing and praying. The rain outside was falling with redoubled violence, and the wind was howling dismally. But you, Monseigneur Gabriel, you had fallen off again into a peaceful sleep, from which you were to awake an orphan.”