Croy addressed Charles and endeavoured to be conciliatory.  “When you have repaired the ill you have wrought I will remember the good you have done,” was the count’s only reply.  He took leave of his father with an outward show of love and respect and returned to his wife at Le Quesnoy, escorted, indeed, by Croy out of the gates of Brussels, but with no better understanding between them.

St. Pol found good ground to work on.  He inflamed the count’s discontent and his distrust of the duke’s favourite until Charles despatched him to Bourges on a confidential mission to ascertain what Charles VII. would do for the heir of Burgundy should he decide to take refuge in the French court.[16]

At the first interview “I was not present,” states the unknown reporter, but on succeeding occasions this man heard for himself that the king was ready to show hospitality to the Count of Charolais who “has no ill intentions against his father.  All he wants to do is to separate him from the people who govern him badly.”

The conferences were held in the lodgings of Odet d’Aydie.  Among those present was Dammartin and the matter was discussed in its various aspects.  Jehan Bureau and the anonymous witness were charged with drawing up a report of the discussion.  When this was presented to the king it did not seem to him good.  He doubted the good faith of the count’s message.  He had been assured that it was all a fiction especially designed by the Sieur de Burgundy.

Certain general promises were made in spite of this royal distrust, quite natural under the circumstances.  If he decided to espouse the cause of Henry VI., the Count of Charolais should be given a command.  It was evident that the count was by no means ready to go to all lengths, for St. Pol states in one of his conferences with the “late king” that Charles of Burgundy had assured him that for two realms such as his he would not do a deed of villainy.

Nothing came of this talk.  It would have been a singular state of affairs had the heirs of France and Burgundy thus changed places in their fathers’ courts.  Spying and counterspying there were between the courts to a great extent and rumours in number.  A certain Italian writes to the Duke of Milan as follows, on March 23, 1461, after he had been at Genappe and at Brussels:[17]

“M. de Croy has given me clearly to understand that the reconciliation of the dauphin with the King of France would not be with the approval of the Duke of Burgundy.  Nevertheless the prince laments that since he received the dauphin into his states, and treated him as his future sovereign, he has incurred the implacable hatred of the king added to his ancient grievances.  On the other hand, the affairs of England, on whose issue depends war or peace for the duke, being still in suspense, it did not seem to him honest to make advances to the king at this moment.

“M. de Croy thinks that the dauphin