ersons who had
heavy grievances against him, and the unfortified private house seemed
slight protection against their possible vengeance. Here, Charles
might disavow injury to him as something happening quite without his
knowledge. On ducal soil the safest place was assuredly under shelter
patently ducal. There, there would be no doubt of responsibility did
misfortune happen.

Straightway the king sent a messenger to Charles asking for quarters
within the castle. The request was granted and the uneasy guest passed
through the massive portals between a double line of Burgundian
men-at-arms. It was no cheerful, pleasant, palatial dwelling-place
this little old castle of Peronne. So thick were the walls that vain
had been all assaults against it.[10] Designed for a fortress rather
than a residence, it had been repeatedly used as a prison, and the air
of the whole was tainted by the dungeons under its walls, dungeons
which had seen many unwilling lodgers. Five centuries earlier than
this date, Charles the Simple had languished to death in one of the
towers.

This change of arrangement, or rather the disquieting reason for the
change, undoubtedly clouded the peacefulness of the occasion. Yet
outward calm was preserved. Commines asserts that the two princes
directed their people to behave amicably to each other and that the
commands were scrupulously obeyed. For two or three days the desired
conferences took place between Charles and Louis. The king's wishes
were perfectly plain. He wanted Charles to forsake all other alliances
and to pledge himself to support his feudal chief, first and foremost,
from all attacks of his enemies. The Duke of Brittany had submitted
to his liege. If the Duke of Burgundy would only accept terms equally
satisfactory in their way, the pernicious alliance between the two
would vanish, to the weal of French unity.

[Illustration: PHILIP DE COMMINES.]

Apparently the first discussion was heard by none except the Cardinal
Balue and Guillaume de Biche. Charles was willing to pledge allegiance
and to promise aid to his feudal chief, but under limitations that
weakened the value of his words. Nothing could induce him to renounce
alliance with other princes for mutual aid, did they need it. There
was a second interview on the following day. Charles held tenaciously
to his position. Then there came a sudden alteration in the situation,
a strange dramatic shifting of the duke's point of view.

The ci