CHAPTER X.
Those were busy days in Paris! So manifold were the intrigues, sofrequent the changes, so rapid the events, of that time, that it wouldhave required almost more than mortal strength and activity, in thosewho played any prominent part amongst the factions of the day, toaccomplish the incessant business of every succeeding hour, had notthat levity, for which the Parisians have been famous in every age ofhistory, stood them in better stead than philosophy could have done,and taught them to consider the fierce turmoil of party, the eageranxiety of intrigue, and even the appalling scenes of strife andbloodshed in which they lived, rather as playthings and as pageants,than as fearful realities.
No sooner had the conference terminated, of which we have given anoutline in the last chapter, than Madame de Montpensier, leaving herbrother of Mayenne to break his somewhat bitter jest upon the leaderof the lansquenets, hurried from the room; but, ere the conversationwhich succeeded was over, though it lasted but a very brief space, shereappeared, covered with what was then called a penitent's cloak, andholding her mask in her hand, as if prepared to go forth.
Beckoning Wolfstrom towards her, she spoke with him for a few moments,in an under tone; and then, concluding with, "Well, be as quick aspossible, and bring me some certain tidings," she again quitted theapartment, without making Mayenne, who was conversing upon lightermatters with the Duchess de Guise and the Chevalier d'Aumale, a sharerin her plans and purposes.
We shall not follow the progress of her chair through the long,tortuous, busy streets of Paris; nor record how her attendants clearedthe way through many a crowd, gathered together round the stall ofsome great bookseller, or before the stage on which some itinerantfriar, like a mountebank of modern times, sold his treasure of relics,or chaplets, or authentic pictures of saints and martyrs, or thestill-valued indulgence, which the church of Rome did not fail togrant to those who had money and folly enough to purchase either theright of eating flesh, while others were doomed to fish, or thegratification of any other little carnal inclination, not held amongstirremissible sins. Suffice it that--amidst stinks, and shouts, andbawlings, mingled now and then with the "shrill squeaking of thewry-necked fife," and various savoury odours were wafted from thekitchens in which cooks, and traiteurs, and aubergistes prepared allsorts of viands, from the fat quail, and luscious ortolan, to goodstout horse-flesh and delicate cat--the Princess's vehicle bore heron, till wide at her approach flew open the gates of the Dominicanconvent, in the rue St. Jacques, and, entering the first court, theDuchess set down, under the archway, on the left-hand side.
After whispering a word to the _frere portier_, the errant daughter ofthe noble house of Guise was led through the long and narrow passagesof the building, not to the parlour which usually formed the place ofreception by the priors of the convent, but to a small room, which hadbut one door for entrance, and but one narrow window to admit theneedful light. The furniture was as simple as it could be, consistingof five or six long-backed ebony chairs, a table, a crucifix, amissal, and a human skull, not, as usual, nicely cleaned and polished,so as to take away all idea of corruption from the round, smooth,meaningless ball of shining bone, but rough and foul as it came fromthe earth, with the black dirt sticking in the hollows where once hadshone the light of life, and the green mould of the grave spreadingfaint and sickly over the fleshless chaps.
Standing before the table, with his arms crossed upon his breast, andhis dark gleaming eye fixed upon the memento of the tomb, stood a tallpale man, habited in the black robe of a prior of the order of St.Dominick, with the white under-garment of the Dominicans stillapparent. He raised his eyes as the Duchess entered, but fixed themagain immediately upon the skull; and, ere he proceeded to notice inwords the approach of his visitant, he muttered what appeared to be abrief prayer, and bowed towards the cross.
"Welcome, madam!" he said, at length; "I have been eagerly expectingyou; for it will not be long ere vespers, and we have much toconsider."
"I have been forced to delay," replied the Duchess, "in order to savesome of our very best schemes from going wrong. But is not Armandicome? He should have been here an hour ago."
"He is here, though he has not been here so long," replied the Prior."I made them keep him without till you came; for I love not hisneighbourhood."
"I ought to pray your forgiveness, father, for bringing him here atall," said the Duchess; "but, in truth--"
"Make no excuse, lady, make no excuse!" answered the Prior. "We labourfor the holy church--we labour for the faith; and there is no weaponput within our reach by God, but we have law and licence to use itagainst the rank and corrupted enemies of the church militant uponearth. Did not the blessed St. Dominick himself say, 'Let the sword doits work, and let the fire do its work, till the threshing-floor ofthe house of God be thoroughly purged and purified of the husks andthe chaff which pollute it?' Did not he himself lead the way in theextirpation of the heretics of old, till the rivers of Languedoc, fromtheir source even to the ocean, flowed red with the foul blood of theenemies of the faith? And shall we, his poor followers, halt likefastidious girls at any means of pursuing the same great object, ofobtaining the same holy end? As I hope to reach the heaven that haslong received our sainted founder, if this Armandi can find means ofaccomplishing our mighty purpose, I will embrace him as a brother, andpronounce with my own lips his absolution from all the many sins ofhis life, on account of that worthy act in defence of the Catholicfaith. Shall I call him in?"
"By all means!" said the Duchess, seating herself near the table: "byall means! let us hear what he has devised."
The Prior of the Dominican, or rather, as it was called in Paris, theJacobine, convent, proceeded to the door, and made a sign to some one,who, standing at the end of the long passage, seemed to wait hiscommands; and, after a momentary pause, an inferior brother of theorder appeared, introducing the perfumer, habited in the same silksand velvets wherewith we have seen him clothed when visited byBeatrice of Ferrara, about an hour before. With a courtly slidingstep, inclined head, and rounded shoulders, Armandi advanced towardsthe spot where the Duchess was seated; and, after laying his hand uponhis breast, and bowing low and reverently, drew back a step beside herchair, as if waiting her commands, with a look of deep humility. ThePrior of the Jacobines seated himself at the same time, and lookedtowards the Duchess, as if unwilling himself to begin the conversationwith the worthy coadjutor who had just joined them. Madame deMontpensier, whose acquaintance with Armandi was of no recent date,had not the same delicacy on the subject, but at once began, in thefamiliar and jocular tone which the light dames of Paris were but toomuch accustomed to use, towards the smooth minister of evil that stoodbefore her: "Well, pink of perfumers," she said, "let us hear whatmeans your ingenious brain has devised for accomplishing the littleobject I mentioned to you some days ago."
"Beautiful as excellent, and bright as noble!" replied Armandi, in hissweetest tone; "adorable princess, whose charms the lowest of herslaves may reverently worship, sorry I am to say, that the enterprisewhich you have been graciously pleased to propose to me, I--lucklessI!--am unable to undertake."
The Duchess heard all his rhodomontade upon her charms--althoughthe very broadness of Armandi's flattery savoured somewhat ofmockery--with more complaisance than had been evinced towards him byBeatrice of Ferrara; but the Prior listened with impatience to hiswaste of words, and seemed to hear his concluding declaration withdisappointment and indignation.
"How is this?" cried he, "how is this? Surely thou, unscrupulous ineverything, affectest no vain qualms in regard to the tyrant at St.Cloud! If thou holdest dear the Catholic faith,"--and the keen eyes ofthe Prior fixed searching upon the soft smiling countenance of thepoisoner--"if thou art not infidel, or atheist, or Huguenot, thou wiltclear away thy many sins, by exercising a trade, hellish in othercircumstances, in the only instance where it is not only justifiableand praiseworthy, but where, by the great deliverance of the church,it may merit you hereafter a crown of glory. Or is it, p
erchance," headded, "that thou fearest because this tyrant is a king, and the sonof thy former patroness? I tell thee, that were he thine own brother,as a good Catholic, thou shouldest not hesitate."
Armandi listened to the vehement declamation of the monk with hisusual composed air, and half subdued smile, and at the end replied,with every apparent reverence--"No, holy Father Bourgoin; you mistakeentirely your humble and devoted servant. I am not so presumptuous asto think, that what such a holy man as you tells me to do can beagainst either right or religion; and, besides, I would humbly beseechyou to give me absolution for anything I might do at your command; sothat, being a sincere and devoted Catholic, my conscience would bequite at ease." There was the slightest possible curl on Armandi's lipas he spoke, which in the eyes of the Dominican looked not unlike asneer; but his manner, as well as his words, was in every other pointrespectful, and he went on in the same tone:--"Neither is it, reverendfather, that the royal object of the ministry which you wish me topractise, has had more than one crown put upon his head, which makesme halt; for I never yet could discover that the holy oil with whichhe is anointed has the least resemblance to that elixir of life whichforbids the approach of death; or that in the golden circlet withwhich his brows are bound lies any antidote for certain drugs that Ipossess. Nor am I moved by considering that his most Christian Majestyis the son of my dear and lamented mistress; for, taking into accountthe troublous world in which we live, and the many difficulties,dangers, and disasters which surround Henry at this moment, truly itwould be no uncharitable act to give him a safe and easy passport toanother world."
"Then why, why," demanded the Duchess, "why do you hesitate to do so?"
"Sweet lady! it is because I cannot," answered Armandi: "the King'sprecautions put all my arts at fault. Not a dish is set upon histable, but a portion of it is tasted two hours before; his glovesthemselves are made within the circle of the court; his own apothecaryprepares the perfumes for his toilet; and the cosmetic mask Which hewears in bed, to keep his countenance from the chill night air, ismanufactured by his own royal hands."
Madame de Montpensier and the Prior looked at each other with somewhatsullen and disappointed looks; and Armandi added, "Unless you can getme admitted to his household, I fear my skill can be of no avail."
"We have no such interest with the effeminate tyrant," replied Madamede Montpensier, "and so this scheme is hopeless," she added. "But Ifear me, Armandi, that, from some love to this tyrant, or to hisminions, your will is less disposed to find the means than the meansdifficult to be found."
"No, as I live, beautiful princess!" answered the poisoner, with moreeagerness than he often displayed. "No, as I live! I had once adaughter, lady, as beautiful as you are; and it was her father's pridethat she should be wise and chaste: when one mid-day, in the openstreets of Paris, my child was met by the base minion, Saint Maigrin,hot with pride, and vice, and wine. He treated her as if she had beenan idle courtesan; and how far he would have carried his brutality,none but the dead can tell, had not a gentleman, whose name I knownot, rescued her from his hands: although so hurt and terrified, that,ere long, she died. I called loudly for justice, lady--I called withthe voice of a father and a man; but I was heard by this Henry, whohas never been a father, and is but half a man. He mocked me openly:but the house of Guise, in revenging their own wrongs, revenged mine;and you may judge whether I would not willingly aid you to remove fromthe earth one who has cumbered it too long."
"Then you absolutely cannot do it?" demanded the priest.
"I cannot," answered Armandi; "but, if I may say so, reverend father,I think you can."
"Ay, and how so?" asked the Prior, eagerly: "if it rests with me, itis done; for, so help me Heaven! if this right hand could plant adagger in his heart, I would not pause between the conception and theact: no, not the twinkling of an eye!--no, not the breathing of aprayer! so sure am I that, by so doing, I should better serve theCatholic faith, than had I the eloquence of St. Paul to preach it tothe world. How can I do it?"
"Very simply, I think," replied the poisoner. "I have often remarked,standing by the gate of your convent, or kneeling at the shrines atNotre Dame, a dull, heavy-looking man, pale in the face, strong in thebody, and having but little meaning in his eye, except that whenbefore some relic, or the image of some favourite saint, a wild anduncertain fire is seen to beam up but for a moment, and go out againas soon. He seems about twenty years of age; and I met him now justgoing forth as I came hither."
"Oh, yes! I know him well," replied the Prior: "you mean poor BrotherClement; a simple, dull, enthusiastic youth, whose strong animalpassions now, most happily for himself, all centre in devotion."
A dark and bitter smile curled the lips of Ren? Armandi as he listenedto the Prior's account of the person on whom he himself had fixed as afit instrument for the foul and bloody schemes that were agitated sotranquilly in their strange conclave. "Yes," he said; "yes, stupid heis; wild, visionary, and enthusiastic, he seems to be; and the sameanimal passions, which once plunged him in brutal lusts and fouldebauchery, may now act as a stimulus to drive home the dagger in thecause of the Catholic faith!"
The gleaming eyes of the Prior fixed sternly upon the countenance ofthe poisoner while he spoke; and it seemed that no very Christianfeelings were excited in the bosom of the monk by the bitter andsneering tone which the Italian employed. The suggestion, however,which his words had implied, rather than expressed, instantly caughthis attention, and diverted his mind towards more important matter."Ha!" he exclaimed; "ha! think you he could be prevailed upon?"
"I have often remarked, reverend father," replied Armandi, who hadcaught the transitory look of wrath as it had passed over the monk'scountenance, and who, being but little disposed to make an enemy ofone both powerful and unscrupulous, now spoke in a milder and moredeferential tone--"I have often remarked, reverend father, that thereare men in whose souls the animal part seems to be so much strongerthan the intellectual, that mere appetite drives them on to coarseextremes in everything, however opposite and apparently incompatible.Thus, do we not see," he asked, lowering his tone, as if he suspectedthat the case he was about to put might be that of his auditor; "do wenot see that men, who, in their youth, have given themselves upsomewhat too freely to gallantry, and to those fair sins which thechurch condemns in vain, in after-years wear the bare stones withtheir bended knees, and tire all the saints in the calendar withpenitence and prayer?"
"Thou speakest profanely," said the Prior: "is it not natural and justthat men, who have great sins to atone for, should do the deeperpenance when their conscience is awakened to repentance? But what ifit were even as thou wouldst sneeringly imply? How does this affectour Brother Clement?"
"If I reason wrongly," replied Armandi, "my reasoning affects him not;but if my view is right, it matters much. I doubt, good father, thatit is always true repentance which brings the libertine to the altar.My conviction is, that it is but one appetite gone, and another risenup in its place; and amongst such men, had I some good and reasonablecause,--some powerful motive to stir them up to action,--it is amongstsuch men, I say, that I should seek for one to undertake fearlessly,and execute resolutely, such a deed as that which has been proposed tome: and let me say too," he continued, a natural tendency to sneer athis companions getting the better of the moderation he had assumed;"and let me say, too, that I would seek for one whose reasoningpowers, in the nice balance of the brain, would kick the beam when theopposite scale were loaded with animal passion and vagrantimagination. Do you understand me?"
The Prior made no reply; but, starting up from his seat, walked up anddown the room with his hands clasped, his head bent, and his lipsmuttering. In the meanwhile, Madame de Montpensier beckoned Armanditowards her, and held with him a brief conversation in an under tone.His communication with her, however, seemed to be much more free andunrestrained than it had been with the monk; for jest and laughterappeared to take the place of shrewd and somewhat bitter discussion;and, though looks of
intelligence and significant gestures made upfully one half of what passed, the lady and the poisoner seemed tounderstand each other perfectly. Their conversation ended by Madame deMontpensier exclaiming aloud, "Oh, never fear, never fear! To attainthat object I will act the angel myself, and go any lengths in thatcapacity."
"Reverend father," continued the Princess, "this scheme is a hopefulone, easily executed, and involving no great risk."
The Prior paused, and turned to listen to the Duchess, who knew muchbetter how to treat him than Armandi. "What is the scheme, lady?" hedemanded: "as yet I have heard of none, except vague hints regarding abrother of the order, mingled with sneers at religion and religiousmen, which, in better days, would have had their reward."
"No, no, good father," replied the Duchess; "poor Armandi means noevil. Answer me one or two questions: think you not that Henry,--theexcommunicated tyrant, the sacrilegious murderer of one of theprelates of the holy church, the friend of heretics, who is at thismoment doing all that he can to spread heresy and destroy the Catholicfaith in France;--think you not that he is without the pale of law,and that any means are justifiable to stop him in his damnable course,and save the holy church and the Catholic population in this country?"
"Not only do I think so," replied the Prior, vehemently, "but I thinkthat he who does stop him in his course will gain a crown of glory,and would obtain, should death befall him in the act, the still moreglorious crown of martyrdom."
"That is enough, that is enough!" replied the Duchess; "I will explainto you the whole scheme when we are alone. You, Armandi, go andprepare everything that you spoke of,--the rose-coloured fire, and thedress, and the wings, and come to me to-night, that we may arrange allthe rest."
With profound and repeated bows, the perfumer was in the act of takinghis departure from the apartment where this iniquitous conference hadtaken place, when three soft taps on the door arrested his progress,and the next moment the same monk who had ushered him thither on thearrival of the Duchess, announced that a noble gentleman withoutcraved to speak with Madame de Montpensier, according to her ownappointment.
"Give him admittance, father! give him admittance!" cried thePrincess; "it is our faithful friend Wolfstrom, who brings me news ofother feats accomplished in the same good cause that occupies ushere."
The order for his admission was immediately given by the Prior; and asArmandi passed out, the leader of the lansquenets entered, exchangingglances of recognition with the poisoner, the circle of whoseacquaintances had extended itself, by one means or another, to almostevery one possessing any degree of rank, wealth, or influence inParis.
"Well, lady!" said the soldier of fortune, after a formal bow to thePrior, "the stag is safely housed, and we wait but your commands tofollow up the sport."
"But have you learned any particulars of his mind and character?"demanded the Duchess, eagerly; "have you discovered which way we bestmay lead or drive him to the point? Remember, our time is but short,and much remains to be done in those brief three days."
"Good faith! there seems but little to be learned, lady," replied thesoldier. "As I promised, I took care that he should have companionshipwith none but those who would take up every light word, to let us seeinto the dark nooks of his heart, and report all truly that theylearned; but, by the Lord! it seems that there are no dark nooks to befound out! All is open and clear--he seems simple as the day,religious in the true Catholic faith, sir Prior, bold and calm, buthaving little to take hold of, if it be not his devotion."
"Of whom speak you?" demanded the Prior, while Madame de Montpensierfixed her fine dark eyes thoughtfully on the ground; "is it of theyoung St. Real, of whom our noble lady here spoke some days since?"
Albert of Wolfstrom nodded; and the Prior also fell into a fit ofmeditation, seeming to revolve, like the Duchess, the means of dealingwith one of those characters, whose right simplicity of nature rendersthem much more difficult to manage than even the wily, the worldly,and the shrewd.
"We must think of this matter, Sir Albert," said the priest, "we mustthink of this matter. Is he in safety at your house, do you think?"
"Why, by my honour, that is doubtful," answered the German. "Mylansquenets have active duty to perform; people are coming inand out at all hours; and I never know when his Highness thelieutenant-general himself may not make his appearance there."
"That will never do!" said the Duchess; "that will never do--we mustsend him to the Bastile. Mayenne will never venture there; for heknows very well that within those walls he would meet many a sightwhich his fine notions of honour and justice would compel him toinquire into, to the mortification of his policy, and the destructionof his prospects. We must have him to the Bastille."
"Your pardon there, madame," said the soldier, somewhat uncourteously;"my prisoner goes not to the Bastille, wherever he goes! That foulburgher demagogue Bussy le Clerc shall hold at his good pleasure noprisoner of mine."
Madame de Montpensier's dark eye flashed, and her cheek reddened asshe listened to the bold tone of the mercenary leader; but all thetangled and complicated political intrigues in which his services werenecessary, and perhaps some more private considerations also, renderedher unwilling to break with one whose faith and integrity weresomewhat more than doubtful. She smothered her anger, therefore, and,after a few moments' thought, replied, "I have it, I have it! He shallbe brought here. You say, Sir Albert of Wolfstrom, that,notwithstanding the intimacy of his father with the Huguenots, heseems to hold fast by the Catholic faith. You, reverend father, shalltry your oratory upon him; and, if possible, we must make him benefitby all that we do to lead on Brother Clement to the point we desire.You object not to this plan; do you, Sir Albert?"
"It is more hopeful than the Bastile," replied the soldier; "and Iwill bring him here with all my heart: but yet," he continued, with adoubtful shake of the head: "but yet--though I cannot tell why--butyet I have some fears that you will not find this young roebuck soeasy to manage as you imagine. There is something about him, I don'tknow what, that makes me doubt the result."
"Oh! but we have means that you know not of," replied the Duchess,"which, if he be in faith and truth a son of the holy church, mustbring him over to the Union for her defence."
"Well, well, I will bring him here," said the mercenary leader; "andyou, fair lady and reverend father, must do the rest."
"Away, then, quick! and you will find me here at your return," repliedthe Duchess; "but take care that you meet not with Mayenne by the way,for he will set him free to a certainty; and then all that we havedone will only tend to drive him over to the other party, instead ofgaining a powerful adherent for the League."
"No fear, no fear!" replied Wolfstrom. "The distance is but a hundredyards; and I will post scouts at the end of the street before we setout." So saying, the leader of the lansquenets took his departure,leaving Madame de Montpensier with the Prior of the Jacobine convent,with whom an eager and interesting conversation instantly took place,the consequences of which we may have to detail hereafter.