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enterprise　caused　his　emotion；　victory　is　often　as　perilous　as　battle。

He　leaned　against　the　balustrade；　quivering　with　joy　and　saying　to

himself：



〃By　which　chimney　can　I　get　to　her？〃



He　looked　at　them　all。　With　the　instinct　given　by　love；　he　went　to　all

and　felt　them　to　discover　in　which　there　had　been　a　fire。　Having　made

up　his　mind　on　that　point；　the　daring　young　fellow　stuck　his　dagger

securely　in　a　joint　between　two　stones；　fastened　a　silken　ladder　to

it；　threw　the　ladder　down　the　chimney　and　risked　himself　upon　it；

trusting　to　his　good　blade；　and　to　the　chance　of　not　having　mistaken

his　mistress's　room。　He　knew　not　whether　Saint…Vallier　was　asleep　or

awake；　but　one　thing　he　was　resolved　upon；　he　would　hold　the　countess

in　his　arms　if　it　cost　the　life　of　two　men。



Presently　his　feet　gently　touched　the　warm　embers；　he　bent　more　gently

still　and　saw　the　countess　seated　in　an　armchair；　and　she　saw　him。

Pale　with　joy　and　palpitating；　the　timid　creature　showed　him；　by　the

light　of　the　lamp；　Saint…Vallier　lying　in　a　bed　about　ten　feet　from

her。　We　may　well　believe　their　burning　silent　kisses　echoed　only　in

their　hearts。







CHAPTER　III



THE　ROBBERY　OF　THE　JEWELS　OF　THE　DUKE　OF　BAVARIA



The　next　day；　about　nine　in　the　morning；　as　Louis　XI。　was　leaving　his

chapel　after　hearing　mass；　he　found　Maitre　Cornelius　on　his　path。



〃Good　luck　to　you；　crony；〃　he　said；　shoving　up　his　cap　in　his　hasty

way。



〃Sire；　I　would　willingly　pay　a　thousand　gold　crowns　if　I　could　have　a

moment's　talk　with　you；　I　have　found　the　thief　who　stole　the　rubies

and　all　the　jewels　of　the　Duke　of〃



〃Let　us　hear　about　that；〃　said　Louis　XI。；　going　out　into　the　courtyard

of　Plessis；　followed　by　his　silversmith；　Coyctier　his　physician；

Olivier　de　Daim；　and　the　captain　of　his　Scottish　guard。　〃Tell　me　about

it。　Another　man　to　hang　for　you！　Hola；　Tristan！〃



The　grand　provost；　who　was　walking　up　and　down　the　courtyard；　came

with　slow　steps；　like　a　dog　who　exhibits　his　fidelity。　The　group

paused　under　a　tree。　The　king　sat　down　on　a　bench　and　the　courtiers

made　a　circle　about　him。



〃Sire；　a　man　who　pretended　to　be　a　Fleming　has　got　the　better　of　me〃

began　Cornelius。



〃He　must　be　crafty　indeed；　that　fellow！〃　exclaimed　Louis；　wagging　his

head。



〃Oh；　yes！〃　replied　the　silversmith；　bitterly。　〃But　methinks　he'd　have

snared　you　yourself。　How　could　I　distrust　a　beggar　recommended　to　me

by　Oosterlinck；　one　hundred　thousand　francs　of　whose　money　I　hold　in

my　hands。　I　will　wager　the　Jew's　letter　and　seal　were　forged！　In

short；　sire；　I　found　myself　this　morning　robbed　of　those　jewels　you

admired　so　much。　They　have　been　ravished　from　me；　sire！　To　steal　the

jewels　of　the　Elector　of　Bavaria！　those　scoundrels　respect　nothing！

they'll　steal　your　kingdom　if　you　don't　take　care。　As　soon　as　I　missed

the　jewels　I　went　up　to　the　room　of　that　apprentice；　who　is；

assuredly；　a　past…master　in　thieving。　This　time　we　don't　lack　proof。

He　had　forced　the　lock　of　his　door。　But　when　he　got　back　to　his　room；

the　moon　was　down　and　he　couldn't　find　all　the　screws。　Happily；　I　felt

one　under　my　feet　when　I　entered　the　room。　He　was　sound　asleep；　the

beggar；　tired　out。　Just　fancy；　gentlemen；　he　got　down　into　my　strong…

room　by　the　chimney。　To…morrow；　or　to…night；　rather；　I'll　roast　him

alive。　He　had　a　silk　ladder；　and　his　clothes　were　covered　with　marks

of　his　clambering　over　the　roof　and　down　the　chimney。　He　meant　to　stay

with　me；　and　ruin　me；　night　after　night；　the　bold　wretch！　But　where

are　the　jewels？　The　country…folks　coming　into　town　early　saw　him　on

the　roof。　He　must　have　had　accomplices；　who　waited　for　him　by　that

embankment　you　have　been　making。　Ah；　sire；　you　are　the　accomplice　of

fellows　who　come　in　boats；　crack！　they　get　off　with　everything；　and

leave　no　traces！　But　we　hold　this　fellow　as　a　key；　the　bold　scoundrel！

ah！　a　fine　morsel　he'll　be　for　the　gallows。　With　a　little　bit　of

QUESTIONING　beforehand；　we　shall　know　all。　Why；　the　glory　of　your

reign　is　concerned　in　it！　there　ought　not　to　be　robbers　in　the　land

under　so　great　a　king。〃



The　king　was　not　listening。　He　had　fallen　into　one　of　those　gloomy

meditations　which　became　so　frequent　during　the　last　years　of　his

life。　A　deep　silence　reigned。



〃This　is　your　business；〃　he　said　at　length　to　Tristan；　〃take　you　hold

of　it。〃



He　rose；　walked　a　few　steps　away；　and　the　courtiers　left　him　alone。

Presently　he　saw　Cornelius；　mounted　on　his　mule；　riding　away　in

company　with　the　grand　provost。



〃Where　are　those　thousand　gold　crowns？〃　he　called　to　him。



〃Ah！　sire；　you　are　too　great　a　king！　there　is　no　sum　that　can　pay　for

your　justice。〃



Louis　XI。　smiled。　The　courtiers　envied　the　frank　speech　and　privileges

of　the　old　silversmith；　who　promptly　disappeared　down　the　avenue　of

young　mulberries　which　led　from　Tours　to　Plessis。



Exhausted　with　fatigue；　the　young　seigneur　had　indeed　fallen　soundly

asleep。　Returning　from　his　gallant　adventure；　he　no　longer　felt　the

same　ardor　and　courage　to　defend　himself　against　distant　or　imaginary

dangers　with　which　he　had　rushed　into　the　perils　of　the　night。　He　had

even　postponed　till　the　morrow　the　cleaning　of　his　soiled　garments；　a

great　blunder；　in　which　all　else　conspired。　It　was　true　that；　lacking

the　moonlight；　he　had　missed　finding　all　the　screws　of　that　cursed

lock；　he　had　no　patience　to　look　for　them。　With　the　〃laisser…aller〃　of

a　tired　man；　he　trusted　to　his　luck；　which　had　so　far　served　him　well。

He　did；　however；　make　a　sort　of　compact　with　himself　to　awake　at

daybreak；　but　the　events　of　the　day　and　the　agitations　of　the　night

did　not　allow　him　to　keep　faith　with　himself。　Happiness　is　forgetful。

Cornelius　no　longer　seemed　formidable　to　the　young　man　when　he　threw

himself　on　the　pallet　where　so　many　poor　wretches　had　wakened　to　their

doom；　and　this　light…hearted　heedlessness　proved　his　ruin。　While　the

king's　silversmith　rode　back　from　Plessis；　accompanied　by　the　grand

provost　and　his　redoubtable　archers。　The　false　Goulenoire　was　being

watched　by　the　old　sister；　seated　on　the　corkscrew　staircase　oblivious

of　the　cold；　and　knitting　socks　for　Cornelius。



The　young　man　continued　to　dream　of　the　secret　delights　of　that

charming　night；　ignorant　of　the　danger　that　was　galloping　towards　him。

He　saw　himself　on　a　cushion　at　the　feet　of　the　countess；　his　head　on

her　knees　in　the　ardor　of　his　love；　he　listened　to　the　story　of　her

persecutions　and　the　details　of　the　count's　tyranny；　he　grew　pitiful

over　the　poor　lady；　who　was；　in　truth；　the　best…loved　natural　daughter

of　Louis　XI。　He　promised　her　to　go　on　the　morrow　and　reveal　her　wrongs

to　that　terrible　father；　everything；　he　assured　her；　should　be　settled

as　they　wished；　the　marriage　broken　off；　the　husband　banished；and

all　this　within　reach　of　that　husband's　sword；　of　which　they　might

both　be　the　victims　if　the　slightest　noise　awakened　him。　But　in　the

young　man's　dream　the　gleam　of　the　lamp；　the　flame　of　their　eyes；　the

colors　of　the　stuffs　and　the　tapestries　were　more　vivid；　more　of　love

was　in　the　air；　more　fire　about　them；　than　there　had　been　in　the

actual　scene。　The　Marie　of　his　sleep　resisted　far　less　than　the　living

Marie　those　adoring　looks；　those　tender　entreaties；　those　adroit

silences；　those　voluptuous　solicitations；　those　false　generosities；

which　render　the　first　moments　of　a　passion　so　completely　ardent；　and

shed　into　the　soul　a　fresh　delirium　at　each　new　step　in　love。



Following　the　amorous　jurisprudence　of　the　period；　Marie　de　Saint…

Vallier　granted　to　her　lover　all　the　superficial　rights　of　the　tender

passion。　She　willingly　allowed　him　to　kiss　her　foot；　her　robe；　her

hands；　her　throat；　she　avowed　her　love；　she　accepted　the　devotion　and

life　of　her　lover；　she　permitted　him　to　die　for　her；　she　yielded　to　an

intoxication　which　the　sternness　of　her　semi…chastity　increased；　but

farther　than　that　she　would　not　go；　and　she　made　her　deliverance　the

price　of　the　highest　rewards　of　his　love。　In　those　days；　in　order　to

dissolve　a　marriage　it　was　necessary　to　go　to　Rome；　to　obtain　the　help

of　certain　cardinals；　and　to　appear　before　the　sovereign　pontiff　in

person　armed　with　the　approval　of　the　king。　Marie　was　firm　in

maintaining　her　liberty　to　love；　that　she　might　sacrifice　it　to　him

later。　Nearly　every　woman　in　those　days　had　sufficient　power　to

establish　her　empire　over　the　heart　of　a　man　in　a　way　to　make　that

passion　the　history　of　his　whole　life；　the　spring　and　principle　of　his

highest　resolutions。　Women　were　a　power　in　France；　they　were　so　many

sovereigns；　they　had　forms　of　noble　pride；　their　lovers　belonged　to

them　far　more　than　they　gave　themselves　to　their　lovers；　often　their

love　cost　blood；　and　to　be　their　lover　it　was　necessary　to　incur　great

dangers。　But　the　Marie　of　his　dream　made　small　defence　against　the

young　seigneur's　ardent　entreaties。　Which　of　the　two　was　the　reality？

Did　the　false