burden of the State, would
like to bear it with me too! Ah, mother, I should have been a great
king!"

"There! there! dear child," said Catharine, to whom this outlook had
always been a very sweet hope, "there! do not despair. Have you thought
of any way of arranging the matter?"

"Oh, yes, certainly, and that is why I came back two or three days
before I was expected, letting my brother Charles suppose that it was on
account of Madame de Conde. Then I have been with De Lasco, the chief
ambassador. I became acquainted with him, and did all I could in that
first interview to make him hate me. I hope I have succeeded."

"Ah, my dear child," said Catharine, "that is wrong. You must place the
interest of France above your petty dislikes."

"Mother, in case any accident happened to my brother, would it be to the
interest of France for the Duc d'Alencon or the King of Navarre to
reign?"

"Oh! the King of Navarre, never, never!" murmured Catharine, letting
anxiety cover her face with that veil of care which spread over it every
time this question arose.

"Faith," continued Henry, "my brother D'Alencon is not worth much more,
and is no fonder of you."

"Well," said Catharine, "what did Lasco say?"

"Even Lasco hesitated when I urged him to seek an audience. Oh, if he
could write to Poland and annul this election!"

"Folly, my son, madness! What a Diet has consecrated is sacred."

"But, mother, could not these Poles be prevailed on to accept my brother
in my stead?"

"It would be difficult, if not impossible," said Catharine.

"Never mind, try, make the attempt, speak to the King, mother. Ascribe
everything to my love for Madame de Conde; say that I am mad over her,
that I am losing my mind. He saw me coming out of the prince's hotel
with De Guise, who did everything for me a friend could do."

"Yes, in order to help the League. You do not see this, but I do."

"Yes, mother, yes; but meanwhile I am making use of him. Should we not
be glad when a man serves us while serving himself?"

"And what did the King say when he met you?"

"He apparently believed what I told him, that love alone had brought me
back to Paris."

"But did he ask you what you did the rest of the night?"

"Yes, mother; but I had supper at Nantouillet's, where I made a
frightful riot, so that the report of it might get abroad and deceive
the King as to where I was."

"Then he is ignorant of your visit to Lasco?"

"Absolutely."

"Good,