nd whom I suppose you do not wish to liberate also, as a traitor and
spy who has been pardoned for the information he has given."

The regent reflected.

"You are all alike," pursued Dubois, "you kings and reigning princes; a
reason stupid enough, like all reasons of honor, such as I have just
given, closes your mouth; but you will never understand true and
important reasons of state. What does it matter to me or to France that
Mademoiselle Helene de Chaverny, natural daughter of the regent, should
weep for her lover, Monsieur Gaston de Chanlay? Ten thousand wives, ten
thousand mothers, ten thousand daughters, may weep in one year for their
sons, their husbands, their fathers, killed in your highness's service
by the Spaniard who threaten you, who takes your gentleness for
weakness, and who becomes emboldened by impunity. We know the plot; let
us do it justice. M. de Chanlay--chief or agent of this plot, coming to
Paris to assassinate you--do not deny it, no doubt he told you so
himself--is the lover of your daughter; so much the worse--it is a
misfortune which falls upon you, but may have fallen upon you before,
and will again. I knew it all. I knew that he was beloved; I knew that
he was called De Chanlay, and not De Livry; yes, I dissimulated, but it
was to punish him exemplarily with his accomplices, because, it must be
understood that the regent's head is not one of those targets which any
one may aim at through excitement or ennui, and go away unpunished if
they fail."

"Dubois, Dubois, I shall never sacrifice my daughter's life to save my
own, and I should kill her in executing the chevalier; therefore no
prison, no dungeon; let us spare the shadow of torture to him whom we
cannot treat with entire justice; let us pardon completely; no half
pardon, any more than half justice."

"Ah, yes; pardon, pardon; there it is at last; are you not tired of that
word, monseigneur; are you not weary of harping eternally on one
string?"

"This time, at least, it is a different thing, for it is not generosity.
I call Heaven to witness that I should like to punish this man, who is
more beloved as a lover than I as a father; and who takes from me my
last and only daughter; but, in spite of myself, I stop, I can go no
farther; Chanlay shall be set free."

"Chanlay shall be set free; yes, monseigneur; mon Dieu! who opposes it?
Only it must be later, some days hence. What harm shall we do him?
Diable! he will not die of a week