CHAPTER XIX.
We must now once more change the scene, and lead the reader back intothe heart of Paris, where, on the very morning which witnessed, at St.Cloud, the events we have just been describing, the Duke of Mayenneheld a conference with some of his principal officers, and some of theleaders of the faction called the _Seize_. It was at an early hour,and he had already given directions for re-establishing in some degreethe rule of law and justice within the city of Paris; whichdirections, though spoken with a tone that left no reply, werelistened to by those whose power and fortunes were founded upon tumultand disorganization, with gloomy and discontented countenances.
"And now, gentlemen," continued Mayenne, turning to his own officers,"having taken measures to restore order to the city, it becomes me toadopt some means for preserving order in the camp. I have oftenreprobated in your presence the system of continual skirmishes anddefiances which are going on in the _Pr? aux Clercs_; and yet I hearthat no later than yesterday evening a cartel was exchanged betweenMaroles and one of the adversary, called Malivaut, I think. Thedefiance given, I do not choose to interfere; but this once over, Iwill permit these things no longer: we thus lose some of our bestofficers and bravest soldiers, without the slightest advantage to ourcause."
"They have gained us a great advantage this morning, my lord," repliedthe Chevalier d'Aumale, who had entered just as the Duke began tospeak. "That same _coup de lance_ between Maroles and Delisle Malivauthas obtained intelligence for which your highness would have given aspy ten thousand crowns had he brought it you."
"How so? how so?" demanded the Duke of Mayenne. "Crowns are not sorife in our treasury, Aumale."
"Nevertheless you would have given the sum I mention," rejoined thechevalier; "but I will tell you, my lord, how it happened. Maroles andMalivaut met as appointed, and we stood back at a hundred yards on oneside, while the enemy remained under the old oak where Malivaut hadarmed himself. As soon as the two were mounted, and the trumpetsounded, they spurred on, and both charged their lances well: theshock was smart, and Maroles was beat flat back upon his horse'scrupper. I thought he was unhorsed; but somehow it had happened thatMalivaut's visor had been ill-rivetted, Maroles' lance struck it justat the second bar, drove it in, and entering between the eye and thenose, broke sharp off; leaving the iron in the wound. For a moment wedid not see that he was hurt, for he sat his horse stiffly; but thenext instant, as he turned to get back to the oak, his strength gaveway, and he fell. Maroles instantly sprang to the ground and made himprisoner, and both parties crying truce, ran up. A glance at his face,however, showed us that death would soon take him out of our hands,and, in fact, he spoke but two sentences after. The first was, 'Giveme a confessor!' The next, 'I care not to live longer, since my kinghas been murdered!'"
"What! what!" exclaimed Mayenne, starting and gazing steadfastly onAumale.
"Ay, my lord, even so!" replied the chevalier. "_Murdered_ was theword; and we heard from the others who stood round, that Henry ofValois died last night of a wound given him by a Jacobin the daybefore."
Mayenne clasped his hands; and, looking up, exclaimed, "Guise! mybrother! at length thou art avenged!" And taking off the black scarfwhich he had worn ever since the death of his brother, the Duke ofGuise, he cast it from him, adding, "So Henry of Valois is dead, thebase, effeminate, soulless tyrant! But you have not told me how ithappened, D'Aumale. Let me hear the particulars! Who ended the days ofthe last of those weak brothers? Was it one of his own creatures,unable to support any longer the daily sight of his crimes? or was itsome zealot of our party, who ventured the doubtful act for a greatobject?"
The satisfaction which he derived from the event was so unconcealed,and his surprise at hearing the intelligence so unaffected andnatural, that although those were days of suspicion, no one venturedto suspect, for a moment, that Mayenne had any previous knowledge ofthe intrigues which ended in the death of Henry III.
"Good faith! my lord," replied Aumale, "I can tell you no more than Ihave already told. The friends of Malivaut let out the secret, thatthe king had been stabbed by a Jacobin friar, and died of his wounds;but we could not expect them to enter into any minute particulars. Ihave still more good news, however, my lord. Ere I quitted the ground,a servant of the gay Count d'Aubin came up, and besought me to obtainfor his master a pass for the morning, adding, that by noon, D'Aubin,with seven hundred men, horse and foot together, would be at theoutposts on the side of St. Denis, with the purpose of joining theUnion."
These tidings did not appear to surprise Mayenne so much as theformer; but he seemed well pleased, nevertheless. "D'Aubin is betterthan his word," he said, "both in regard to time and numbers. He fixedthree days, but I suppose the death of Henry has hurried hismovements. How comes he to enter by St. Denis, though? It is leadinghis troops a tremendous round! There surely can be no foul play,D'Aumale! Are you sure the servant was his?"
"Quite sure, my lord," replied Aumale, "for the fellow was once my own_ecuyer de main_; and, besides, he gave a reason for taking thatround. 'The Huguenot army,' he said, 'was advanced as far as Meudon,occupying both banks of the river, and the ground as far asBeauregard; D'Aubin was afraid of being stopped, and having to cut hisway through, if he did not make a _detour_.'"
"Nevertheless, Aumale," replied the Duke, "let us be upon our guard.Strengthen the posts towards St. Denis, and bid Nemours take hisregiment to meet and do honour to the new comers. D'Aubin I can trust,for he plays for a great stake; but he has not seven hundred men withhim; and though he may very likely have brought over some other leaderto our cause, yet it is as well to be prepared, and to be able torepel force by force, in case Henry of Navarre should present himselfinstead of Philip d'Aubin."
Measures of precautions were accordingly taken; but at the hourappointed, the Count d'Aubin and one or two inferior leaders, who hadjoined their forces to his, presented themselves at the outposts ofthe army of the League; and once having placed their troops within thelimits of the garrison of Paris, so as to be out of danger, D'Aubinand his companions rode into the city, followed by merely a smalltrain of common attendants. His reception from the Duke of Mayenne wasas gracious as the circumstances had led him to expect; and the newswhich he bore of the doubts and differences in the royal camp not onlyremoved from the leaders of the League every fear of attack, butsuggested the hope of obtaining some striking success by assuming theoffensive. Mayenne, however, though a skilful general, and a bold,decided, and courageous man, was wanting in that great quality,activity. Much time was spent in preparation; and it was not till thethird day after the king's death, that it was determined to march abody, consisting of ten thousand of the best troops of the League, bya circuitous route to Meulan, and to take up a position in the rear ofthe king's army, thus cutting off his retreat upon either Normandy orthe south, and exposing him, if he held his present camp, to beattacked at once in front and flank. The command of the force destinedfor this important expedition was divided between the Chevalierd'Aumale and the Count d'Aubin, whose skill, courage, and activity,were undoubted, and whose zeal in favour of the League, and againstthe Royalists, was likely to be the more energetic from the fact ofhis having just joined the one and abandoned the others. The march wasordered to commence the next morning early; but late in the evening,when Mayenne, seated alone in his cabinet, was busily preparing hislast written order for the two officers in command, the Count d'Aubinwas suddenly announced, at least an hour before the Duke expected him.He was instantly admitted, however, and advanced to the table at whichMayenne was sitting, with one of those smiles upon his lips, whichshowed that his errand had its share of bitterness. "Well, my lord,"he said, "I come to save you unnecessary trouble. You may lay down thepen; for--as I thought we should be--we are too late."
"How so?" demanded the Duke of Mayenne. "We cannot be too late, ifthey have not bribed Saint Mark. The place could hold out a year."
"They have not bribed him," replied D'Aubin, "but they have done justas good; they have outwitted h
im. Yesterday, towards five o'clock,Rosny, and some others, engaged the thick-headed fool in a parley, andwhile they amused him with fair words, who should present himself atthe bridge but the Marechal d'Aumont, as if merely to pass the water,according to convention; for St. Mark's forces have never beensufficient to defend the bridge. Well, when the troops were in themidst, they thought they might as well walk into the first open gatethey saw, which happened to be that of the castle. So now Meulan is inthe hands of the Huguenots; and we may save ourselves the trouble of amarch which can produce no results."
"Saint Mark is a fool," said Mayenne, as calmly as if nothingvexatious had happened: "when we retake Meulan, we must put someperson of better understanding in it; and at present we must changeour plans. What think you, D'Aubin? will the Bearnois retreat uponNormandy and the sea coast, or will he fall back upon Maine andTouraine?"
D'Aubin paused thoughtfully--so long, indeed, that the Duke added,"Speak! speak, D'Aubin! I know no one whose foresight is more shrewdthan yours. Why do you hesitate?"
"To tell the truth, my lord," replied D'Aubin, "I paused, consideringhow I should answer; for your interests lead me one way, and my ownkeenest wishes would make me go another. Did I choose in this instanceto consider myself, before either country, or party, or truth, orhonesty, as nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand of yourfaithful followers would do, I should answer at once, that theNavarrese will march upon Maine; but we are all playing too greatstakes at this moment for trifling, and my sincere opinion is, thatHenry will fall back on Lower Normandy."
It was now Mayenne's turn to muse. "I see not how it affects you,D'Aubin, whether I am led to believe the Bearnois will turn his stepsthe one way or the other," he replied. "Tell me what interests haveyou therein more than other friends of the Catholic faith.--But firstlet me hear your reasons for judging that Normandy will be thedirection of his march."
"For three strong reasons, my good lord," replied D'Aubin; "becausethe Normans are well affected towards him; because he expects succourfrom England; and because he is a good soldier. The first he will soonfind out, if he do not know it already; the English troops must landon the Norman coast; and his knowledge of war will not suffer him toleave such advantages behind."
"And now, D'Aubin," said the Duke, after listening attentively to hisreasons, "let me hear why, if you considered your own interests morethan mine, you should desire me to believe that Harry of Navarre willmarch upon Maine and Touraine?"
"Simply, because I could then show you the best of all reasons for atonce fulfilling your promise in regard to the hand of Mademoiselle deMenancourt," replied D'Aubin.
"My promise _shall_ be fulfilled, Count," replied Mayenne, with someemphasis. "Fear not that Charles of Mayenne will shrink from theperformance of his engagements; but you are somewhat too pressing. Youcannot expect me to employ force in such a matter; and you have as yetgiven yourself no time to obtain, by gentleness and persuasion, thatconsent which the poor girl seems somewhat reluctant to grant."
D'Aubin coloured a good deal, piqued by the terms of commiseration inwhich Mayenne spoke of her who had so deeply wounded his vanity; buthe was a great deal too wise to let his displeasure have vent on thepresent occasion. "My lord duke," he replied, "I should have thoughtyour highness knew woman better. This is all caprice. During herfather's life, Eugenie showed no such reluctance; and it was but someslight and unintentional offence on my part which first made herdeclare she would not fulfil the engagement between us. Once havingsaid it, she makes it a matter of consistency to adhere to herpurpose; though I could very well see, in our interview of yesterday,that her feelings in these respects were much altered. As long as sheis suffered to make a point of vanity of her refusal, she willpersist, even contrary to her own wishes; but once let her be my wife,and I will make her contented and happy, I will be answerable for it."
Mayenne shook his head, observing dryly, "Her reluctance did not seemto me much shaken when I spoke with her yesterday, Monsieur d'Aubin;but still I do not see how this question is affected by Henry's marchupon Maine."
"Were he likely to execute such a march, I would soon show you how, mylord," replied D'Aubin. "As it is, it matters little. However, thesimple fact is this: the lands of Menancourt lie contiguous to my own;and did Henry of Navarre march thither, it would be absolutelynecessary to your best interest that I should instantly become thehusband of Eugenie, and set out for Maine, armed with power to bringall the retainers of her father in aid of the union. Full sevenhundred men, trained to arms, and caring little which party they join,are lying idle in the villages and hamlets there; and if Henry reachesLe Mans before the husband of Eugenie de Menancourt, those men will bearrayed against the union instead of in favour of it. My worthy cousinof St. Real, who is much loved amongst the peasantry, is not a man tostand upon any ceremonies in serving a cause which he thinks just; andit would but little surprise me, to find the vassals of De Menancourtmarching under the banners of St. Real. But as I hold it certain thatthe Huguenots will retire upon Normandy, the matter is not so pressingthat we cannot wait a few days longer, to allow your highness'snotions of delicacy full time to tire themselves out, by doubling likea pack of beagles after a woman's caprices."
There was something in the reasoning of D'Aubin which seemed to affectMayenne much more than even the Count himself had expected. Risingfrom his seat, the Duke strode up and down the room for a moment ortwo, as if not a little embarrassed how to act; then, turning suddenlyto his companion, he said--"You hold it certain, then, D'Aubin, thatthe Bearnois will fall back on Normandy and the sea? Hold it certainno longer!" he added, taking from a portfolio, which lay on the tableat which he had been writing, an unsealed letter, and placing it inD'Aubin's hands. "Read that, D'Aubin, read that! and you will soon seethat you are mistaken. There you see De Rosny himself, under theking's dictation, writes to the Count de Soissons to tell him, that ifhe will advance to Chateau Gontier, or even as far as Le Mans, Henrywill meet him there within fifteen days. Mark, also, he lays out theline of march which they intend to pursue,--by Meulan, Mantes, Dreux,Verneuil, and Mortagne."
"May not this have been thrown out to deceive us?" demanded D'Aubin.
"No," replied Mayenne. "No; it was taken upon the person of Monsieurde Gailon last night, and they would not have risked a man of suchimportance with a letter which was not of the utmost consequence."
"Well, then, my lord Duke," replied D'Aubin, returning him the letter,with a calm and well satisfied smile, "I trust that all our purposeswill be answered. Henry has committed a fault, of which you, ofcourse, will take advantage."
"No immediate advantage can ensue," replied the Duke. "It was theknowledge of these facts which made me so eager to push a strong forceupon Meulan; but as that fool St. Mark has suffered himself to bedeceived, Henry's line of march is secure. What you say of Maine,however, is of importance, and must be thought of farther."
"By your good leave, my lord," replied D'Aubin, somewhat sharply,"methinks it needs no farther thought at all. Either you must let theretainers of Menancourt be raised and marched for the use and benefitof Henry of Navarre, calling himself King of France, or I must be thehusband of the fair heiress of Maine; and before this time to-morrownight must be on my horse's back with a hundred stout cavaliers behindme, riding like the wind towards Chateau du Loir. The road by Chartresis open, and all that side of the country in our favour. In three daysI shall be in Maine; and if I cannot gather together forces sufficientto make head against the Bearnois, I will at least do something toimpede his march, and will join you with all the troops I can raise,wherever you give me a rendezvous."
Mayenne again walked up and down the room, knitting his brow andbiting his lips with a degree of emotion which showed an evidentdistaste to the proposal of his companion. D'Aubin gazed upon him withnot the most placable look, understanding the nature of his feelings,and not a little displeased to see a disposition to delay thefulfilment of the promise made to him; but at the same time feeling asecret tr
iumph in his heart at the concatenation of circumstanceswhich would compel the Duke of Mayenne, from political motives, togrant that which he, D'Aubin, thought ought to have been willinglyaccorded to his own merits and services.
"My lord," he cried, with a somewhat bitter laugh, after gazing uponthe Duke for two or three minutes, "I am sorry to see you hesitateupon a matter in which both policy and justice should make you decideat once. Your unconditional promise has been given, that Eugenie deMenancourt shall be my bride; and circumstances have arisen, whichrender it as necessary to you as agreeable to me that she shouldbecome so immediately. In regard to these circumstances, I have dealtwith you honestly, and have done what you know there is scarcelyanother follower that you have would do,--given you advice contrary tomy own interest and wishes. Now, my lord----"
"Well, well!" interrupted Mayenne, "it must even be as you say,D'Aubin. There is no other resource; but remember, in wishing to findone, I am not influenced by any desire to evade a promise made to you,but solely and simply by the hope of inducing Mademoiselle deMenancourt, by persuasion, entreaty, and remonstrance, to fulfil herfather's engagement, and thus spare me the pain of doing what I feelto be harsh, uncourteous, and unknightly."
"Your lordship is mighty delicate in all this," replied D'Aubin; "butI am not so much so. A little wholesome compulsion will do this proudbeauty no harm. Proud I may well call her; for, proud of her wealth,her loveliness, and her rank, she thinks, it seems, that she is to betreated in a different manner from every other woman in France; and Iam not sorry that, in the very fact of our marriage, that proud spiritshould be a little humbled, which would certainly render her not themost yielding or obedient of wives."
Mayenne bit his lip. "I have never seen anything in her, Monsieurd'Aubin," he said, "but gentleness and sweetness. Determined shecertainly is upon one point--her personal objection to yourself. Whatcause you have given her for such objection I know not, and shall notinquire, as my promise to yourself, and great state necessity, compelme to act in a manner which no other circumstances could excuse. Nowmark me, Monsieur d'Aubin; what I intend to do is this, to yield youmy whole authority to bring about your marriage with Eugenie deMenancourt to-morrow evening. There is a chapel in the house where shelives, and at a certain hour my own confessor shall be there, ready toperform the ceremony. But still remember, that I can hardly hold sucha marriage to be legal, if she persists to the last in opposing it;and I must take measures to guard against doing aught that may eitheraffect my own honour and reputation, draw upon me the censures of thechurch, or infringe the laws I am called upon for the time to defendand uphold. Under these circumstances, I will write down the exactterms and conditions on which I consent to what you propose. Ifpolitical motives alone move you to press the marriage so hastily,what I require will be easily conceded. If otherwise, I say No! andwill try no means of compulsion till all other efforts have failed."
Thus saying, Mayenne wrote down a few words on a slip of paper, andhanded it to the Count d'Aubin, who gazed on it, while the shadows ofmany a quick passion flitted over his countenance. Thrice with afrown, he lifted his eyes to the face of Mayenne; but all that hebeheld there was calm, stern determination; and, after again readingthe paper, he replied, "Well, I consent, because I doubt not, my lord,that when she finds the matter inevitable, she will yield, even if notwith a good grace; but if we were to set out for Chartres on thefollowing day, it would surely be time enough for--"
"No, Monsieur d'Aubin, no;" replied Mayenne: "the plan which I havedrawn out must be followed exactly. I will myself be present at theceremony; and I require that you sign that paper to guard againstmisunderstanding on either side, otherwise I stir no farther in theaffair. Are you contented with this arrangement?"
"Perfectly, my lord," replied D'Aubin, signing the paper with a smile."I merely thought that, by delaying the marriage till the followingmorning, I and you, and your noble sister of Montpensier, might,perhaps, have more time to reason her out of her prejudices; but, asyou say, it will after all be better tomorrow night, for the onlydanger of interruption on my journey lies in the neighbourhood ofParis, and it will be better to take our departure under cover of thedarkness. As for the rest, let us but show this fair lady that it isinevitable, and I will engage that she shall soon make up her mind toit. For this purpose, my lord, let me beseech you to furnish me with abillet to her, under your own hand, telling her what we havedetermined, couched in what courteous terms you will, but sufficientlyexplicit to let her know that there is no chance of evasion."
"Perhaps you are right," said Mayenne, "perhaps you are right; butnevertheless, D'Aubin, try all gentle means. You are not one, as faras ever I have heard, to fail in persuasion, when you choose to useyour eloquence against a woman's heart."
D'Aubin smiled, but replied, "Nevertheless, my lord, it goes somewhatagainst the grain to flatter, and to soothe, and to beseech, when oneis treated with scorn, and has, at the same time, the right tocommand; but still, fear not; I will do my best; and, if ever womanwas won with fair words and soft entreaties, Eugenie de Menancourtshall come willingly to the altar; but, to give those entreatiesgreater force, it will be necessary to show her, by your handwriting,that it is not from want of power that I use the gentler before theharsher means."
Mayenne took up the pen, but mused for many minutes ere he put it tothe paper, and even then wrote no less than three billets before hecould satisfy himself in a species of composition to which he was notaccustomed. At length, abandoning all formal excuses, he contentedhimself with simply announcing to the unhappy Eugenie de Menancourt,that motives of importance to the state compelled him to require herwithout farther hesitation to fulfil her father's engagement to theCount d'Aubin; and that he had appointed the hour of nine on thesucceeding evening for the celebration of her marriage.
"There!" he said, as he handed the note to D'Aubin--"There, sir Count!Seldom has my hand so unwillingly traced a few lines as to-night. ButI will send my sister Catherine early in the morning to soften thematter to the poor girl; and now, farewell! for I have matters of muchimport to attend to."
D'Aubin took the note, and before he noticed the hint to withdraw,read it over attentively, to satisfy himself that it was such as hecould wish, and then folding it up again with a triumphant smile, heuttered a few words of thanks and took his leave. Ere long, however,those feelings of triumph died away; and other sensations took theirplace. His pride had been wounded, his vanity insulted, and many ofhis worldly prospects endangered by the steadfast rejection of Eugeniede Menancourt; but his heart was not so hardened as he himselfbelieved it to be, nor as it appeared to others, in the fierce pursuitof his object; and when he turned away from the cabinet of Mayenne,and took his path homeward, he asked himself whether after all, heshould make use of the cruel power he possessed; he asked himselfwhether, for the sake of humbling a fair and innocent girl, and ofgratifying his vanity by triumphing over her opposition, he couldresist the tears, and entreaties, and reproaches of a being whom hehad been accustomed to regard with tenderness, if not with love;whether he should cause the unhappiness of her whole after days, andat the same time unite himself, against her will, to a woman whosedislike would only be increased by the force that was put upon herinclinations. Even while he revolved these ideas, the memory of onethat he had long--ay, that he still loved, was wakened by the otherthoughts which struggled in his bosom; and although he hadcontemplated the deed he was about to commit a thousand times before,and fully made up his mind to it, he now shrunk with cold and chillyrepugnance at the idea of placing between himself and her whopossessed the only stronghold of his affections, the impassablebarrier of his union with another. All these feelings leaguedtogether, and for a time made head against his less generous purposes;but there were difficulties in retreating, which could hardly beovercome; and as he reached the house in which he had fixed hisdwelling at Paris, he thought, "I will sleep over these new doubts,and decide to-morrow."
When he entered, however, he found Albert of
Wolfstrom and several gaycompanions, waiting to sup with him, and to bid him farewell, ere heset out upon the expedition against Meulan, for which they stillthought he was destined on the morrow. D'Aubin despised them all, butnevertheless he sat down with them, and drank deep. Dice succeeded towine; and when the Count rose from table, he had no resource, but towed Eugenie de Menancourt, or to descend more than one step in thescale of society.