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Chicot the Jester

Год написания книги
2017
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“You will denounce me?”

“To the king dethroned for you, yes; for if my new king destroyed my honor and happiness, I would return to the old.”

“It is infamous.”

“True, sire; but I love enough to be infamous.”

“It is cowardly.”

“Yes, your majesty, but I love enough to be cowardly. Come, monseigneur, do something for the man who has served you so well.”

“What do you want?”

“That you should pardon me.”

“I will.”

“That you should reconcile me with M. de Méridor.”

“I will try.”

“That you will sign my marriage contract with Mademoiselle de Méridor.”

“Yes,” said the prince, in a hoarse voice.

“And that you shall honor my wife with a smile when I shall present her to his majesty.”

“Yes; is that all?”

“All, monseigneur.”

“You have my word.”

“And you shall keep the throne to which I have raised you. – There remains now, only,” thought Monsoreau, “to find out who told the duke.”

CHAPTER XXXVI.

CHICOT AND THE KING

That same evening M. de Monsoreau presented his wife in the queen’s circle. Henri, tired, had gone to bed, but after sleeping three or four hours, he woke, and feeling no longer sleepy, proceeded to the room where Chicot slept, which was the one formerly occupied by St. Luc; Chicot slept soundly, and the king called him three times before he woke. At last he opened his eyes and cried out, “What is it?”

“Chicot, my friend, it is I.”

“You; who?”

“I, Henri.”

“Decidedly, my son, the pheasants must have disagreed with you; I warned you at supper, but you would eat so much of them, as well as of those crabs.”

“No; I scarcely tasted them.”

“Then you are poisoned, perhaps. Ventre de biche! how pale you are!”

“It is my mask,” said the king.

“Then you are not ill?”

“No.”

“Then why wake me?”

“Because I am annoyed.”

“Annoyed! if you wake a man at two o’clock in the morning, at least you should bring him a present. Have you anything for me?”

“No; I come to talk to you.”

“That is not enough.”

“Chicot, M. de Morvilliers came here last evening.”

“What for?”

“To ask for an audience. What can he want to say to me, Chicot?”

“What! it is only to ask that, that you wake me?”

“Chicot, you know he occupies himself with the police.”

“No; I did not know it.”

“Do you doubt his watchfulness?”

“Yes, I do, and I have my reasons.”

“What are they?”

“Will one suffice you?”

“Yes, if it be good.”

“And you will leave me in peace afterwards?”

“Certainly.”

“Well, one day – no, it was one evening, I beat you in the Rue Foidmentel; you had with you Quelus and Schomberg.”

“You beat me?”
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