lic, however, seemed to excite
his Majesty's wrath rather against Rosny for presuming to refer to such
a thing than against Turenne, to whom he refused to credit it. He paused
near my end of the promenade.

'Prove it!' he said angrily. 'But can you prove it? Can you prove it?
Mind you, I will take no hearsay evidence, sir. Now, there is Turenne's
agent here--you did not know, I dare say, that he had an agent here?'

'You refer, sire, to M. de Bruhl,' Rosny answered, without hesitation.
'I know him, sire.'

'I think you are the devil,' Henry answered, looking curiously at him.
'You seem to know most things. But mind you, my friend, he speaks me
fairly, and I will not take this on hearsay even from your master.
Though,' he added after pausing a moment, 'I love him.'

'And he, your Majesty. He desires only to prove it.'

'Yes, I know, I know,' the king answered fretfully. 'I believes he does.
I believe he does wish me well. But there will be a devil of an outcry
among my people. And Turenne gives fair words too. And I do not know,'
he continued, fidgeting with his cup and ball, 'that it might not suit
me better to agree with him, you see.'

I saw M. de Rosny draw himself up. 'Dare I speak openly to you, sire,'
he said, with less respect and more energy than he had hitherto used.
'As I should to my master?'

'Ay, say what you like,' Henry answered. But he spoke sullenly, and it
seemed to me that he looked less pleasantly at his companion.

'Then I will venture to utter what is in your Majesty's mind,' my patron
answered steadfastly. 'You fear, sire, lest, having accepted my master's
offer and conquered your enemies, you should not be easily rid of him.'

Henry looked relieved. 'Do you call that diplomacy?' he said with a
smile. 'However, what if it be so? What do you say to it? Methinks I
have heard an idle tale about a horse which would hunt a stag; and for
the purpose set a man upon its back.'

'This I say, sire, first,' Rosny answered very earnestly. 'That the King
of Navarre is popular only with one-third of the kingdom, and is only
powerful when united with you. Secondly, sire, it is his interest to
support the royal power, to which he is heir. And, thirdly, it must be
more to your Majesty's honour to accept help from a near kinsman than
from an ordinary subject, and one who, I still maintain, sire, has no
good designs in his mind.'

'The proof' Henry said sharply. 'Give me that!'

'I can give it in a wee