r d'Egmont is given to surprises."

"He and the Prince of Orange," remarked Cypierre, with a significant
shrug of his shoulders.

"The Duke of Alba and Cardinal Granvelle are going there, are they not,
monsieur?" said Amyot to the Cardinal de Tournon, who remained standing,
gloomy and anxious between the opposing groups after his conversation
with the chancellor.

"Happily we are at peace; we need only conquer heresy on the stage,"
remarked the young Duc d'Orleans, alluding to a part he had played the
night before,--that of a knight subduing a hydra which bore upon its
foreheads the word "Reformation."

Catherine de' Medici, agreeing in this with her daughter-in-law, had
allowed a theatre to be made of the great hall (afterwards arranged for
the Parliament of Blois), which, as we have already said, connected the
chateau of Francois I. with that of Louis XII.

The cardinal made no answer to Amyot's question, but resumed his walk
through the centre of the hall, talking in low tones with Monsieur
de Robertet and the chancellor. Many persons are ignorant of the
difficulties which secretaries of State (subsequently called ministers)
met with at the first establishment of their office, and how much
trouble the kings of France had in creating it. At this epoch a
secretary of State like Robertet was purely and simply a writer; he
counted for almost nothing among the princes and grandees who decided
the affairs of State. His functions were little more than those of the
superintendent of finances, the chancellor, and the keeper of the seals.
The kings granted seats at the council by letters-patent to those of
their subjects whose advice seemed to them useful in the management
of public affairs. Entrance to the council was given in this way to a
president of the Chamber of Parliament, to a bishop, or to an untitled
favorite. Once admitted to the council, the subject strengthened his
position there by obtaining various crown offices on which devolved such
prerogatives as the sword of a Constable, the government of provinces,
the grand-mastership of artillery, the baton of a marshal, a leading
rank in the army, or the admiralty, or a captaincy of the galleys, often
some office at court, like that of grand-master of the household, now
held, as we have already said, by the Duc de Guise.

"Do you think that the Duc de Nemours will marry Francoise?" said Madame
de Guise to the tutor of the Duc d'Orleans.

"Ah, madame," he replie