able, at Melun, where I met
him with the Duchesse de Berry, whom he was most impatient to convey to
Savoie, that he might return here and open the eyes of the chancellor
Olivier, who is now completely duped by the Lorrains. As soon as
Monsieur l'Hopital saw the true object of the Guises he determined to
support your interests. That is why he is so anxious to get here and
give you his vote at the councils."

"Is he sincere?" asked Catherine. "You know very well that if the
Lorrains have put him in the council it is that he may help them to
reign."

"L'Hopital is a Frenchman who comes of too good a stock not to be honest
and sincere," said Chiverni; "Besides, his note is a sufficiently strong
pledge."

"What answer did the Connetable send to the Guises?"

"He replied that he was the servant of the king and would await
his orders. On receiving that answer the cardinal, to suppress all
resistance, determined to propose the appointment of his brother as
lieutenant-general of the kingdom."

"Have they got as far as that?" exclaimed Catherine, alarmed. "Well, did
Monsieur l'Hopital send me no other message?"

"He told me to say to you, madame, that you alone could stand between
the Crown and the Guises."

"Does he think that I ought to use the Huguenots as a weapon?"

"Ah! madame," cried Chiverni, surprised at such astuteness, "we never
dreamed of casting you into such difficulties."

"Does he know the position I am in?" asked the queen, calmly.

"Very nearly. He thinks you were duped after the death of the king into
accepting that castle on Madame Diane's overthrow. The Guises consider
themselves released toward the queen by having satisfied the woman."

"Yes," said the queen, looking at the two Gondi, "I made a blunder."

"A blunder of the gods," replied Charles de Gondi.

"Gentlemen," said Catherine, "if I go over openly to the Reformers I
shall become the slave of a party."

"Madame," said Chiverni, eagerly, "I approve entirely of your meaning.
You must use them, but not serve them."

"Though your support does, undoubtedly, for the time being lie there,"
said Charles de Gondi, "we must not conceal from ourselves that success
and defeat are both equally perilous."

"I know it," said the queen; "a single false step would be a pretext on
which the Guises would seize at once to get rid of me."

"The niece of a Pope, the mother of four Valois, a queen of France,
the widow of the most ardent persecutor of th