t, Mazarin had still in his heart
some doubts as to his fidelity under all circumstances. He could not but
be conscious that faith had been absolutely broken with Bouillon, and,
accustomed to tortuous ways, he could scarce imagine that Turenne would
hold himself altogether above family interest. He saw by the manner
more than the words of Hector that he was speaking from a profound
conviction. In asking him the question, he had been thinking more of
Turenne's loyalty than of the young colonel's. Having been four years in
the closest connection with the marshal, he could not but know his real
sentiments, and he felt sure that had Turenne expressed any anger at the
treatment his brother had received, he would have seen it in the young
man's face. The answer was a reassuring one.

"Thank you, monsieur le baron; the musketeers and the Swiss guards we
know we can absolutely rely upon, and I shall be glad to be able to
inform the queen that she can place implicit faith in your regiment.
I need not impress upon you the necessity for our conversation being
regarded by you as absolutely confidential."

Hector, thinking the matter over, had no great difficulty in the end in
arriving at the truth, namely, that his own loyalty was a very secondary
object of interest to the minister, and that his real motive in thus
apparently opening his mind to him had been, not to gather his own
sentiments, but to endeavour to ascertain those of Turenne. From the
talk among his officers he had already learned that the general opinion
was, that although the queen had always entertained a most favourable
opinion of Turenne, and had herself nominated him as marshal and
commander of the forces on the Rhine, Mazarin had assented to the
arrangement because he feared that the army of Italy would probably
follow its commander should the latter take up the quarrel of his
brother, while, on the Rhine with but a few regiments, to all of whom
he was a stranger, under his command, he would be practically powerless,
whatever his sentiments might be with regard to Bouillon.

In the middle of August Hector received an order from Mazarin to take
part with his regiment in a review which the queen intended to hold
at Versailles two days later. At this review the musketeers, the Swiss
guards, the Scottish regiment, and two regiments of the line besides his
own, the queen, the young king, Mazarin, and most of the members of the
court were present. The Poitou regime