ch, when proscribed at one time, as my husband may be, demanded aid
from England and England accorded it to him; and it is but just to say
that Queen Elizabeth was not his niece."

"Peccato!" said Mazarin, writhing beneath this simple eloquence, "your
majesty does not understand me; you judge my intentions wrongly, and
that is partly because, doubtless, I explain myself in French."

"Speak Italian, sir. Ere the cardinal, your predecessor, sent our
mother, Marie de Medicis, to die in exile, she taught us that language.
If anything yet remains of that great, that sublime king, Henry, of whom
you have just spoken, he would be much surprised at so little pity for
his family being united to such a profound admiration of himself."

The perspiration stood in large drops on Mazarin's brow.

"That admiration is, on the contrary, so great, so real, madame,"
returned Mazarin, without noticing the change of language offered to him
by the queen, "that if the king, Charles I.--whom Heaven protect from
evil!--came into France, I would offer him my house--my own house; but,
alas! it would be but an unsafe retreat. Some day the people will burn
that house, as they burned that of the Marechal d'Ancre. Poor Concino
Concini! And yet he but desired the good of the people."

"Yes, my lord, like yourself!" said the queen, ironically.

Mazarin pretended not to understand the double meaning of his own
sentence, but continued to compassionate the fate of Concino Concini.

"Well then, your eminence," said the queen, becoming impatient, "what is
your answer?"

"Madame," cried Mazarin, more and more moved, "will your majesty permit
me to give you counsel?"

"Speak, sir," replied the queen; "the counsels of so prudent a man as
yourself ought certainly to be available."

"Madame, believe me, the king ought to defend himself to the last."

"He has done so, sir, and this last battle, which he encounters with
resources much inferior to those of the enemy, proves that he will not
yield without a struggle; but in case he is beaten?"

"Well, madame, in that case, my advice--I know that I am very bold to
offer advice to your majesty--my advice is that the king should not
leave his kingdom. Absent kings are very soon forgotten; if he passes
over into France his cause is lost."

"But," persisted the queen, "if such be your advice and you have his
interest at heart, send him help of men and money, for I can do nothing
for him; I have sold even to