consequently he will refuse to obey it?"

"I fear so."

"And he will resist?"

"Probably."

"Ah! the devil!" said Maurevel; "and in that case"--

"In what case?" said Catharine, not moving her eyes from him.

"Why, in case he resists, what is to be done?"

"What do you do when you are given an order from the King, that is, when
you represent the King, and when there is any resistance, Monsieur de
Maurevel?"

"Why, madame," said the sbirro, "when I am honored with such an order,
and when this order refers to a simple gentleman, I kill him."

"I told you, monsieur," said Catharine, "and I scarcely think that
sufficient time has elapsed for you to have forgotten it, that the King
of France recognizes no position in his kingdom, and that after him the
greatest are simple gentlemen."

Maurevel grew pale, for he was beginning to comprehend.

"Oh! oh!" he cried, "kill the King of Navarre?"

"Why, who is speaking of killing him? Where is the order to kill him?
The King wishes him taken to the Bastille, and the order contains
nothing more. If he lets himself be arrested, very good; but as he will
not let himself be arrested, as he will resist, as he will endeavor to
kill you"--

Maurevel grew paler.

"You will defend yourself," continued Catharine. "One cannot ask a brave
man like you to let himself be killed without defending himself; and in
defending yourself, what can you expect? You must let come what may. You
understand me, do you not?"

"Yes, madame; and yet"--

"Come, do you want me to write _dead or alive_ after the words _order to
arrest_?"

"I confess, madame, that that would do away with my scruples."

"Well, it must be done, of course, since you do not think the order can
be carried out without it."

And Catharine shrugged her shoulders, unrolled the parchment with one
hand, and wrote with the other: "_dead or alive_."

"Now," said she, "do you consider the order all right?"

"Yes, madame," replied Maurevel; "but I beg your majesty to leave the
carrying out of the entire affair to me."

"What have I said that will interfere with it?"

"Your majesty told me to take a dozen men."

"Yes, to make sure"--

"Well, I ask permission to take only six."

"Why so?"

"Because, madame, if anything happens to the prince, as it probably
will, it would be easy to excuse six men for having been afraid of
losing the prisoner, but no one would excuse a dozen guards for not
having let half of their