The other day I said to him, 'Annibal,
be careful, do not deceive me, for if you do!'--I said it, however, with
my emerald eyes which prompted Ronsard's lines:

"'_La Duchesse de Nevers,_[11]
_Aux yeux verts,_
_Qui, sous leur paupiere blonde_
_Lancent sur nous plus d'eclairs_
_Que ne font vingt Jupiters_
_Dans les airs_
_Lorsque la tempete gronde._'"

"Well?"

"Well, I supposed he would answer me: 'I deceive you! I! never! etc.,
etc.' But do you know what he did answer?"

"No."

"Well, judge of the man! 'And you,' he replied, 'if you deceive me, you
take care too, for, princess that you are'--and as he said this he
threatened me not only with his eyes, but with his slender pointed
finger, with its nail cut like a steel lance, which he held before my
nose. At that moment, my poor queen, I confess he looked so fierce that
I trembled, and yet you know I am no coward."

"He threatened you, Henriette, he dared?"

"Well, I had threatened him! For that matter he was right. So you see he
is devoted up to a certain point, or rather to a very uncertain point."

"In that case we shall see," said Marguerite thoughtfully; "I will speak
to La Mole. Have you nothing else to tell me?"

"Yes; something most interesting for which I came. But, the idea, you
have told me more interesting things still. I have received news."

"From Rome?"

"Yes, through a courier from my husband."

"Ah! the Poland affair?"

"It is progressing beautifully, and probably in a day or two you will be
rid of your brother of Anjou."

"So the pope has ratified his election?"

"Yes, my dear."

"And you never told me!" cried Marguerite. "Well, quick, quick, the
details."

"Oh, mercy, I have none except those I have given you. But wait, I will
give you the letter from Monsieur de Nevers. Here it is. Oh, no, those
are some verses from Annibal, atrocious ones too, my poor Marguerite. He
can not write any other kind. But wait, here it is. No, it isn't, that
is a note of my own which I brought for you to have La Mole give him.
Ah! at last, here it is." And Madame de Nevers handed the letter to the
queen.

Marguerite opened it hastily and read it; but it told nothing more than
she had already learned from her friend.

"How did you receive this?" continued the queen.

"From a courier of my husband, who had orders to stop at the Hotel de
Guise before going to the Louvre, and to deliver this letter to me
befo