to
the boy. The King might say the Dauphin grasped at the crown while the
father lived, and Philip de Commines abetted him. After all, Valmy was
safest. Not many days before, Louis had told him with brutal frankness
that the hand which pulled him from the gutter could fling him back
again. Yes, Valmy was safest. But what account was he to give of his
mission? The letter, whether false in its news or true, was a
sufficient reason for his return. It was most natural, human, and
loving that the faithful servant should stand by the bier of his dead
master. It would even be a point in his favour if the King lived. No
doubt Tristan had said, 'Test him and he will go over to the Dauphin.'
Well, he would give Tristan the lie and prove that Louis came first,
living or dead. Yes, Valmy was safest.

But his mission? For the time it had failed. Saxe, as Stephen had
said, had proved too much. He must make Saxe the scapegoat. The
obvious lie damned him. It was crass stupidity to put into Hugues'
mouth a lie which carried its own disproof with it. To force an
accusation based upon the remainder of the story would be unpolitic.
His best course would be to relieve the King of all his fears at
Amboise. There was no plot, the Dauphin was loyal and obedient: not
affectionate, that would be proving too much like the fool Saxe, and
Louis would never believe it. Then there was the King's letter to
Saxe. It must not be forgotten. That shrewd rascal, Villon, was right
when he said some one had sounded Saxe, only the some one was not
Hugues the valet. The letter must be ignored, or, better still, it
might even help to make his--Commines'--position more secure than ever.
It was Louis' habit to disavow his failures. He would, of course,
repudiate Saxe and disavow the mission to Amboise, and because of the
disavowal he would, openly at least, welcome the Dauphin's loyalty.
That was Louis' way. Yes, Valmy was safest.

"I must leave Amboise at once," he said at last, and speaking as if the
intention had always been in his mind. "If this misfortune has
overtaken us all, which God forbid, we must meet it with courage and
resignation. May He who alone is able comfort the bereaved son of so
good and so great a father. My hope and prayer, mademoiselle, is that
you are right and the King is making trial of our love and loyalty. In
either case my place is at Valmy. La Mothe, order a horse to be
saddled without delay."

"Ther