ture; "at least, I know of no others. And now
for our own. There is my niece, Mademoiselle de Guise;[37] and she is
one of those whom I should prefer, despite the naughty tales that are
told of her, for I place no faith in them; but she is too much devoted
to the interests of her house, and I have reason to dread the restless
ambition of her brothers."

The Princesses of Mayenne,[38] of Aumale,[39] and of Longueville,[40]
were next the subject of the royal comments; but they were all either
too fair or too dark, too old or too plain; nor were Mesdemoiselles de
Rohan,[41] de Luxembourg,[42] or de Guemenee[43] more fortunate: the
first was a Calvinist, the second too young, and the third not to
his taste.

Long ere the King had arrived at this point of his discourse, the
keen-sighted minister had fathomed his determination to raise some
obstacle in every instance; and he began to entertain a suspicion that
this was not done without a powerful motive, which he immediately became
anxious to comprehend. Thus, therefore, when Henry pressed him to
declare his sentiments upon the subject, he answered cautiously: "I
cannot, in truth, hazard an opinion, Sire; nor can I even understand the
bent of your own wishes. Thus much only do I comprehend--that you
consent to take another wife, but that you can discover no princess
throughout Europe with whom you are willing to share the throne of
France. From the manner in which you spoke of the Infanta, it
nevertheless appeared as though a rich heiress would not be
unacceptable; but surely you do not expect that Heaven will resuscitate
in your favour a Marguerite de Flandres, a Marie de Bourgogne, or even
permit Elizabeth of England to grow young again."

"I anticipate nothing of the kind," was the sharp retort; "but how know
I, even were I to marry one of the princesses I have enumerated, that I
should be more fortunate than I have hitherto been? If beauty and youth
could have ensured to me the blessing of a Dauphin, had I not every
right to anticipate a different result in my union with Madame
Marguerite? I could not brook a second mortification of the like
description, and therefore I am cautious. And now, as I have failed to
satisfy myself upon this point, tell me, do you know of any one woman in
whom are combined all the qualities which I have declared to be
requisite in a Queen of France?"

"The question is one of too important a nature, Sire, to be answered
upon the instant," s