his mother.

"Tell them," he bade her curtly.

She told them what already she had told her son, relating all now with
greater detail and circumstance. For some moments nothing was heard in
that room but the steady drone of her unemotional voice. When she had
finished, she yawned and settled herself to hear what might be answered.

"Well," snapped the King, "you have heard. What do you advise? Speak
out!"

Nevers was the first to answer.

"There is no other way," he said stiffly, "but that which Her Majesty
advises. The danger is grave. If it is to be averted, action must be
prompt and effective."

Tavannes clasped his hands behind him and said much the same, as did
presently the Chancellor.

Twisting and untwisting his chaplet of beads about his long fingers,
his eyes averted, the King heard each in turn. Then he looked up. His
glance, deliberately ignoring Guise, settled upon the Duke of Retz, who
held aloof.

"And you, Monsieur le Marechal, what is your counsel?"

Retz drew himself up, as if bracing himself to meet opposing forces. He
was a little pale, but quite composed.

"If there is a man whom I should hate," he said, "it is this Gaspard de
Coligny, who has defamed me and all my family by the foul accusations he
has put abroad. But I will not," he added firmly, "take vengeance upon
my enemies at the expense of my king and master. I cannot counsel a
course so disastrous to Your Majesty and the whole kingdom. Did we
act as we have been advised, Sire, can you doubt that we should
be taxed--and rightly taxed in view of the treaty that has been
signed--with perfidy and disloyalty?"

Dead silence followed that bombshell of opposition, coming from a
quarter whence it was least expected. For Catherine and Anjou had
confidently counted upon the Duke's hatred of Coligny to ensure his
support of their designs.

A little colour crept into the pale cheeks of the King. His glance
kindled out of its sullenness. He was as one who sees sudden hope amid
despair.

"That is the truth," he said. "Messieurs, and you, madame my mother, you
have heard the truth. How do you like it?"

"Monsieur de Retz is deceived by an excess of loyalty," said Anjou
quickly. "Because he bears a personal enmity to the Admiral, he
conceives that it would hurt his honour to speak otherwise. It must
savour to him, as he has said, of using his king and master to avenge
his own personal wrongs. We can respect Monsieur de Retz's view,
althou