said the cardinal, advancing to the door.

But when he opened it even he was terrified; the whole house was
deserted! The courtiers, certain now of the death of the king, had gone
in a body to the king of Navarre.

"Well, go on, perform your duty," cried Mary Stuart, vehemently, to
Ambroise. "I--and you, duchess," she said to Madame de Guise,--"will
protect you."

"Madame," said Ambroise; "my zeal was carrying me away. The doctors,
with the exception of my friend Chapelain, prefer an injection, and it
is my duty to submit to their wishes. If I had been chief surgeon and
chief physician, which I am not, the king's life would probably have
been saved. Give that to me, gentlemen," he said, stretching out his
hand for the syringe, which he proceeded to fill.

"Good God!" cried Mary Start, "but I order you to--"

"Alas! madame," said Ambroise, "I am under the direction of these
gentlemen."

The young queen placed herself between the surgeon, the doctors, and
the other persons present. The chief physician held the king's head,
and Ambroise made the injection into the ear. The duke and the cardinal
watched the proceeding attentively. Robertet and Monsieur de Maille
stood motionless. Madame de Fiesque, at a sign from Catherine, glided
unperceived from the room. A moment later l'Hopital boldly opened the
door of the king's chamber.

"I arrive in good time," said the voice of a man whose hasty steps
echoed through the great hall, and who stood the next moment on the
threshold of the open door. "Ah, messieurs, so you meant to take off the
head of my good nephew, the Prince de Conde? Instead of that, you have
forced the lion from his lair and--here I am!" added the Connetable de
Montmorency. "Ambroise, you shall not plunge your knife into the head of
my king. The first prince of the blood, Antoine de Bourbon, the Prince
de Conde, the queen-mother, the Connetable, and the chancellor forbid
the operation."

To Catherine's great satisfaction, the king of Navarre and the Prince de
Conde now entered the room.

"What does this mean?" said the Duc de Guise, laying his hand on his
dagger.

"It means that in my capacity as Connetable, I have dismissed the
sentinels of all your posts. _Tete Dieu_! you are not in an enemy's
country, methinks. The king, our master, is in the midst of his loyal
subjects, and the States-general must be suffered to deliberate at
liberty. I come, messieurs, from the States-general. I carried the
pro