he respite afforded him by his well-sustained
examination to go to Madame de Sauve's. He found Orthon completely
recovered from his fainting-fit. But Orthon could tell him nothing,
except that some men had broken into the king's rooms, that the leader
had struck him with the handle of his sword, and that the blow had
stunned him. No one had troubled about Orthon. Catharine had seen that
he had fainted and had believed him to be dead.

As he had come to himself between the departure of the queen mother and
the arrival of the captain of the guards charged with clearing up the
room, he had taken refuge in Madame de Sauve's apartments.

Henry begged Charlotte to keep the young man until news came from De
Mouy, who would not fail to write him from his hiding-place. Then he
would send Orthon to carry his answer to De Mouy, and instead of one
devoted man he could count on two. This decided on, he returned to his
rooms and began further to consider matters, walking up and down the
while. Suddenly the door opened and the King appeared.

"Your Majesty!" cried Henry, rising to meet him.

"In person. Really, Henriot, you are a good fellow, and I love you more
and more."

"Sire," said Henry, "your Majesty overwhelms me."

"You have but one fault, Henriot."

"What is that? The one for which your Majesty has already reproached me
several times?" said Henry. "My preferring to hunt animals rather than
birds?"

"No, no, I am not referring to that, Henriot, I mean something else."

"If your Majesty will explain," said Henry, who saw from the smile on
Charles's lips that the King was in a good humor, "I will try and
correct it."

"It is this, that having such good eyes, you see no better than you do."

"Bah!" said Henry, "can I be short-sighted, then, sire, without knowing
it?"

"Worse than that, Henry, worse than that, you are blind."

"Ah, indeed," said the Bearnais, "but is it not when I shut my eyes that
this happens?"

"Well, yes!" said Charles, "you are perfectly capable of that. At all
events, I am going to open your eyes."

"God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. Your Majesty is
the representative of God on earth. Therefore you can do here what God
does in heaven. Proceed; I am all attention."

"When De Guise said last night that your wife had just passed escorted
by a gallant you would not believe it."

"Sire," said Henry, "how could I believe that the sister of your Majesty
could commit an act