“Where may you have seen anyone who was ever made to communicate by force?” asked Chamillard.

D’Aygaliers looked at the minister in surprise, thinking he spoke in joke; but seeing he was quite serious, he answered: 

“Alas, monseigneur, my late father and my mother, who is still living, are both instances of people subjected to this indignity.”

“Are you, then, not a Catholic?” asked Chamillard.

“No, monseigneur,” replied d’Aygaliers.

“Then how did you manage to return to France?”

“To speak the truth, sir, I only came back to help my mother to escape; but she never could make up her mind to leave France, as such a step was surrounded by many difficulties which she feared she could never surmount.  So she asked my other relations to persuade me to remain.  I yielded to their importunities on condition that they would never interfere with my beliefs.  To accomplish this end they got a priest with whom they were intimate to say that I had changed my views once more, and I did not contradict the report.  It was a great sin on my part, and I deeply repent it.  I must add, however, that whenever anyone has asked me the question your Excellency asked me just now I have always given the same reply.”

The minister did not seem to take the baron’s frankness in bad part; only he remarked, when dismissing him, that he hoped he would find out some way of ridding the kingdom of those who refused to think in religious matters as His Majesty commanded.

D’Aygaliers replied that it was a problem to which he had given much thought, but without ever being able to find a solution, but that he would think about it more earnestly in future.  He then withdrew.

Some days later, Chamillard sent ward to d’Aygaliers that the king would graciously give him a farewell audience.  The baron relates what took place at this second interview, as follows.

“His Majesty,” says he, “received me in the council chamber, and was so good as to repeat once more in the presence of all his ministers that he was very much pleased with my services, but that there was one thing about me he should like to correct.  I begged His Majesty to tell me what the fault was, and I should try to get rid of it at, the peril of my life.”

“‘It is your religion,’ said the king.  ’I should like to have you become a good Catholic, so that I might be able to grant you favours and enable you to serve me better.’  His Majesty added that I ought to seek instruction, and that then I should one day recognise what a great benefit he desired to bring within my reach.