“Veramente, principessa” exclaimed Marie de Medicis with sudden vehemence, “you excel yourself to-day!  But have a care!  My faithful servants were no meet guests, as it would seem, at a festival in honour of the House of Guise.  Truly your energetic kinsmen are goodly diplomatists.  Not content with conspiring in the Louvre—­under the very roof which shelters their sovereign—­they conspire also in their own palaces, by the glare of tapers as busily as in the shade.  Even to the measure of soft music they can adapt their treasonable practices; and amid the murmurs of flattery can breathe the whispers of disaffection as glibly as when closeted together secure from all intrusion.  So be it then; exclude from your glittering salons all those who are the known adherents of the sovereign and his mother; they will be careful for the future to repay the courtesy in kind.  I have as great a dread of spies as yourself, Madame de Conti, and henceforward I will profit by the lesson which you have taught me.”

“I can assure your Majesty—­” faltered the lady of honour.

“Nay, Princesse,” interposed the Queen-mother bitterly, “do not wrong yourself.  Have at least the courage necessary for the personage which you have seen fit to enact, and believe me that you will need it when you venture to cope with a Medicis.  Florence can also boast of her diplomatists, and they may chance to prove even more subtle than those of our good city of Paris.  There is a stern and a profitable lesson in the past should you read it aright.”

So saying Marie de Medicis rose from her seat, and with a stately step walked to a window overlooking the river, where she remained for a considerable time apparently absorbed by the busy scene beneath her; but at length she turned slowly towards the three ladies, who had also risen, and said calmly:  “His Majesty is about to visit me.  Mesdames du Fargis and de Fervaques will assist me to receive him.  I excuse Madame de Conti; after the manifold exertions of the past night she must need repose.”

The Princess made the three low curtsies customary on such occasions, and disappeared behind the tapestried hangings which were held back by the usher on duty; while the Queen-mother threw herself once more upon her seat, and burying her face in her hand, again fell into a deep and bitter reverie.

Meanwhile the Protestants were preparing for the General Assembly, and the Marechal de Bouillon proceeded to Sedan, in order to assist at their deliberations.  He had no sooner done this than the Prince de Conde requested permission to go and take possession of his government of Guienne, a project which at that particular moment created universal suspicion, and excited the alarm of Marie, who was apprehensive that he was about to solicit the support of the reformed party.  Under this impression she exerted all her ingenuity to invent pretexts for delaying his purpose without awakening his distrust; but they ultimately proved unavailing, and she found herself compelled to allow him to depart.