This officer, who was sleeping, or preparing to sleep, was,notwithstanding his careless air, charged with a seriousresponsibility.

Lieutenant of the king's musketeers, he commanded all thecompany which came from Paris, and that company consisted ofa hundred and twenty men; but, with the exception of thetwenty of whom we have spoken, the other hundred wereengaged in guarding the queen-mother, and more particularlythe cardinal.

Monsignor Giulio Mazarini economized the traveling expensesof his guards; he consequently used the king's, and thatlargely, since he took fifty of them for himself - apeculiarity which would not have failed to strike any oneunacquainted with the usages of that court.

That which would still further have appeared, if notinconvenient, at least extraordinary, to a stranger, was,that the side of the castle destined for monsieur lecardinal was brilliant, light and cheerful. The musketeersthere mounted guard before every door, and allowed no one toenter, except the couriers, who, even while he wastraveling, followed the cardinal for the carrying on of hiscorrespondence.

Twenty men were on duty with the queen-mother; thirtyrested, in order to relieve their companions the next day.

On the king's side, on the contrary, were darkness, silence,and solitude. When once the doors were closed, there was nolonger an appearance of royalty. All the servitors had bydegrees retired. Monsieur le Prince had sent to know if hismajesty required his attendance; and on the customary "No"of the lieutenant of musketeers, who was habituated to thequestion and the reply, all appeared to sink into the armsof sleep, as if in the dwelling of a good citizen.

And yet it was possible to hear from the side of the houseoccupied by the young king the music of the banquet, and tosee the windows of the great hall richly illuminated.

Ten minutes after his installation in his apartment, LouisXIV. had been able to learn, by movement much moredistinguished than marked his own leaving, the departure ofthe cardinal, who, in his turn, sought his bedroom,accompanied by a large escort of ladies and gentlemen.

Besides, to perceive this movement, he had nothing to do butto look out at his window, the shutters of which had notbeen closed.

His eminence crossed the court, conducted by Monsieur, whohimself held a flambeau, then followed the queen-mother, towhom Madame familiarly gave her arm; and both walkedchatting away, like two old friends.

Behind these two couples filed nobles, ladies, pages andofficers; the flambeaux gleamed over the whole court, likethe moving reflections of a conflagration. Then the noise ofsteps and voices became lost in the upper floors of thecastle.

No one was then thinking of the king, who, leaning on hiselbow at his window, had sadly seen pass away all thatlight, and heard that noise die off - no, not one, if itwas not that unknown of the hostelry des Medici, whom wehave seen go out, enveloped in his cloak.

He had come straight up to the castle, and had, with hismelancholy countenance, wandered round and round the palace,from which the people had not yet departed; and finding thatno one guarded the great entrance, or the porch, seeing thatthe soldiers of Monsieur were fraternizing with the royalsoldiers - that is to say swallowing Beaugency atdiscretion, or rather indiscretion - the unknown penetratedthrough the crowd, then ascended to the court, and came tothe landing of the staircase leading to the cardinal'sapartment.

What, according to all probability, induced him to directhis steps that way, was the splendor of the flambeaux, andthe busy air of the pages and domestics. But he was stoppedshort by a presented musket and the cry of the sentinel.

"Where are you going, my friend?" asked the soldier.

"I am going to the king's apartment," replied the unknown,haughtily, but tranquilly.

The soldier called one of his eminence's officers, who, inthe tone in which a youth in office directs a solicitor to aminister, let fall these words: "The other staircase, infront."

And the officer, without further notice of the unknown,resumed his interrupted conversation.

The stranger, without reply, directed his steps towards thestaircase pointed out to him. On this side there was nonoise, there were no more flambeaux.

Obscurity, through which a sentinel glided like a shadow;silence, which permitted him to hear the sound of his ownfootsteps, accompanied with the jingling of his spurs uponthe stone slabs.

This guard was one of the twenty musketeers appointed forattendance upon the king, and who mounted guard with thestiffness and consciousness of a statue.

"Who goes there?" said the guard.

"A friend," replied the unknown.

"What do you want?"

"To speak to the king."

"Do you, my dear monsieur? That's not very likely."

"Why not?"

"Because the king has gone to bed."

"Gone to bed already?"

"Yes."

"No matter: I must speak to him."

"And I tell you that is impossible."

"And yet - - "

"Go back!"

"Do you require the word?"

"I have no account to render to you. Stand back!"

And this time the soldier accompanied his word with athreatening gesture; but the unknown stirred no more than ifhis feet had taken root.

"Monsieur le mousquetaire," said he, "are you a gentleman?"

"I have that honor."

"Very well! I also am one, and between gentlemen someconsideration ought to be observed."

The soldier lowered his arms, overcome by the dignity withwhich these words were pronounced.

"Speak, monsieur," said he; "and if you ask me anything inmy power - - "

"Thank you. You have an officer, have you not?"

"Our lieutenant? Yes, monsieur."

"Well, I wish to speak to him."

"Oh, that's a different thing. Come up, monsieur."

The unknown saluted the soldier in a lofty fashion, andascended the staircase; whilst a cry, "Lieutenant, a visit!"transmitted from sentinel to sentinel, preceded the unknown,and disturbed the slumbers of the officer.

Dragging on his boots, rubbing his eyes, and hooking hiscloak, the lieutenant made three steps towards the stranger.

"What can I do to serve you, monsieur?" asked he.

"You are the officer on duty, lieutenant of the musketeers,are you?"

"I have that honor," replied the officer.

"Monsieur, I must absolutely speak to the king."

The lieutenant looked attentively at the unknown, and inthat look, however rapid, he saw all he wished to see - that is to say, a person of high distinction in an ordinarydress.

"I do not suppose you to be mad," replied he; "and yet youseem to me to be in a condition to know, monsieur, thatpeople do not enter a king's apartments in this mannerwithout his consent."

"He will consent."

"Monsieur, permit me to doubt that. The king has retiredthis quarter of an hour; he must be now undressing. Besides,the word is given."

"When he knows who I am, he will recall the word."

The officer was more and more surprised, more and moresubdued.

"If I consent to announce you, may I at least know whom toannounce, monsieur?"

"You will announce His Majesty Charles II., King of England,Scotland, and Ireland."

The officer uttered a cry of astonishment, drew back, andthere might be seen upon his pallid countenance one of themost poignant emotions that ever an energetic man endeavoredto drive back to his heart.

"Oh, yes, sire; in fact," said he, "I ought to haverecognized you."

"You have seen my portrait, then?"

"No, sire."

"Or else you have seen me formerly at court, before I wasdriven from France?"

"No, sire, it is not even that."

"How then could you have recognized me, if you have neverseen my portrait or my person?"

"Sire, I saw his majesty your father at a terrible moment."

"The day - - "

"Yes."

A dark cloud passed over the brow of the prince; then,dashing his hand across it, "Do you still see any difficultyin announcing me?" said he.

"Sire, pardon me," replied the officer, "but I could notimagine a king under so simple an exterior; and yet I hadthe honor to tell your majesty just now that I had seenCharles I. But pardon me, monsieur; I will go and inform theking."

But returning after going a few steps, "Your majesty isdesirous, without doubt, that this interview should be asecret?" said he.

"I do not require it; but if it were possible to preserve it- - "

"It is possible, sire, for I can dispense with informing thefirst gentleman on duty; but, for that, your majesty mustplease to consent to give up your sword."

"True, true; I had forgotten that no one armed is permittedto enter the chamber of a king of France."

"Your majesty will form an exception, if you wish it; butthen I shall avoid my responsibility by informing the king'sattendant."

"Here is my sword, monsieur. Will you now please to announceme to his majesty?"

"Instantly, sire." And the officer immediately went andknocked at the door of communication, which the valet openedto him.

"His Majesty the King of England!" said the officer.

"His Majesty the King of England!" replied the valet dechambre.

At these words a gentleman opened the folding-doors of theking's apartment, and Louis XIV. was seen, without hat orsword, and his pourpoint open, advancing with signs of thegreatest surprise.

"You, my brother - you at Blois!" cried Louis XIV.,dismissing with a gesture both the gentleman and the valetde chambre, who passed out into the next apartment.

"Sire," replied Charles II., "I was going to Paris, in thehope of seeing your majesty, when report informed me of yourapproaching arrival in this city. I therefore prolonged myabode here, having something very particular to communicateto you."

"Will this closet suit you, my brother?"

"Perfectly well, sire; for I think no one can hear us here."

"I have dismissed my gentleman and my watcher; they are inthe next chamber. There, behind that partition, is asolitary closet, looking into the ante-chamber, and in thatante-chamber you found nobody but a solitary officer, didyou?"

"No, sire."

"Well, then, speak, my brother; I listen to you."

"Sire, I commence, and entreat your majesty to have pity onthe misfortunes of our house."

The king of France colored, and drew his chair closer tothat of the king of England.

"Sire," said Charles II., "I have no need to ask if yourmajesty is acquainted with the details of my deplorablehistory."

Louis XIV. blushed, this time more strongly than before;then, stretching forth his hand to that of the king ofEngland, "My brother," said he, "I am ashamed to say so, butthe cardinal scarcely ever speaks of political affairsbefore me. Still more, formerly I used to get Laporte, myvalet de chambre, to read historical subjects to me, but heput a stop to these readings, and took away Laporte from me.So that I beg my brother Charles to tell me all thosematters as to a man who knows nothing."

"Well, sire, I think that by taking things from thebeginning I shall have a better chance of touching the heartof your majesty."

"Speak on, my brother - speak on."

"You know, sire, that being called in 1650 to Edinburgh,during Cromwell's expedition into Ireland, I was crowned atScone. A year after, wounded in one of the provinces he hadusurped, Cromwell returned upon us. To meet him was myobject; to leave Scotland was my wish."

"And yet," interrupted the young king, "Scotland is almostyour native country, is it not, my brother?"

"Yes; but the Scots were cruel compatriots for me, sire;they had forced me to forsake the religion of my fathers;they had hung Lord Montrose, the most devoted of myservants, because he was not a Covenanter; and as the poormartyr, to whom they had offered a favor when dying, hadasked that his body might be cut into as many pieces asthere are cities in Scotland, in order that evidence of hisfidelity might be met with everywhere, I could not leave onecity, or go into another, without passing under somefragments of a body which had acted, fought, and breathedfor me.

"By a bold, almost desperate march, I passed throughCromwell's army, and entered England. The Protector set outin pursuit of this strange flight, which had a crown for itsobject. If I had been able to reach London before him,without doubt the prize of the race would have been mine;but he overtook me at Worcester.

"The genius of England was no longer with us, but with him.On the 5th of September, 1651, sire, the anniversary of theother battle of Dunbar, so fatal to the Scots, I wasconquered. Two thousand men fell around me before I thoughtof retreating a step. At length I was obliged to fly.

"From that moment my history became a romance. Pursued withpersistent inveteracy, I cut off my hair, I disguised myselfas a woodman. One day spent amidst the branches of an oakgave to that tree the name of the royal oak, which it bearsto this day. My adventures in the county of Stafford, whenceI escaped with the daughter of my host on a pillion behindme, still fill the tales of the country firesides, and wouldfurnish matter for ballads. I will some day write all this,sire, for the instruction of my brother kings.

"I will first tell how, on arriving at the residence of Mr.Norton, I met with a court chaplain, who was looking on at aparty playing at skittles, and an old servant who named me,bursting into tears, and who was as near and as certainlykilling me by his fidelity as another might have been bytreachery. Then I will tell of my terrors - yes, sire, ofmy terrors - when, at the house of Colonel Windham, afarrier who came to shoe our horses declared they had beenshod in the north."

"How strange!" murmured Louis XIV. "I never heard anythingof all that; I was only told of your embarkation atBrighthelmstone and your landing in Normandy."

"Oh!" exclaimed Charles, "if Heaven permits kings to be thusignorant of the histories of each other, how can they renderassistance to their brothers who need it?"

"But tell me," continued Louis XIV., "how, after being soroughly received in England, you can still hope for anythingfrom that unhappy country and that rebellious people?"

"Oh, sire! since the battle of Worcester, everything ischanged there. Cromwell is dead, after having signed atreaty with France, in which his name is placed above yours.He died on the 5th of September, 1658, a fresh anniversaryof the battles of Dunbar and Worcester."

"His son has succeeded him."

"But certain men have a family, sire, and no heir. Theinheritance of Oliver was too heavy for Richard. Richard wasneither a republican nor a royalist; Richard allowed hisguards to eat his dinner, and his generals to govern therepublic; Richard abdicated the protectorate on the 22nd ofApril, 1659, more than a year ago, sire.

"From that time England is nothing but a tennis-court, inwhich the players throw dice for the crown of my father. Thetwo most eager players are Lambert and Monk. Well, sire, I,in my turn, wish to take part in this game, where the stakesare thrown upon my royal mantle. Sire, it only requires amillion to corrupt one of these players and make an ally ofhim, or two hundred of your gentlemen to drive them out ofmy palace at Whitehall, as Christ drove the money-changersfrom the temple."

"You come, then," replied Louis XIV., "to ask me - - "

"For your assistance, that is to say, not only for thatwhich kings owe to each other, but that which simpleChristians owe to each other - your assistance, sire,either in money or men. Your assistance, sire, and within amonth, whether I oppose Lambert to Monk, or Monk to Lambert,I shall have reconquered my paternal inheritance, withouthaving cost my country a guinea, or my subjects a drop ofblood, for they are now all drunk with revolutions,protectorates, and republics, and ask nothing better than tofall staggering to sleep in the arms of royalty. Yourassistance, sire, and I shall owe you more than I owe myfather, - my poor father, who bought at so dear a rate theruin of our house! You may judge, sire, whether I amunhappy, whether I am in despair, for I accuse my ownfather!"

And the blood mounted to the pale face of Charles II., whoremained for an instant with his head between his hands, andas if blinded by that blood which appeared to revolt againstthe filial blasphemy.

The young king was not less affected than his elder brother;he threw himself about in his fauteuil, and could not find asingle word of reply.

Charles II., to whom ten years in age gave a superiorstrength to master his emotions, recovered his speech thefirst.

"Sire," said he, "your reply? I wait for it as a criminalwaits for his sentence. Must I die?"

"My brother," replied the French prince, "you ask me for amillion - me, who was never possessed of a quarter of thatsum! I possess nothing. I am no more king of France than youare king of England. I am a name, a cipher dressed infleur-de-lised velvet, - that is all. I am upon a visiblethrone; that is my only advantage over your majesty. I havenothing - I can do nothing."

"Can it be so?" exclaimed Charles II.

"My brother," said Louis, sinking his voice, "I haveundergone miseries with which my poorest gentlemen areunacquainted. If my poor Laporte were here, he would tellyou that I have slept in ragged sheets, through the holes ofwhich my legs have passed; he would tell you thatafterwards, when I asked for carriages, they brought meconveyances half-destroyed by the rats of the coach-houses;he would tell you that when I asked for my dinner, theservants went to the cardinal's kitchen to inquire if therewere any dinner for the king. And look! to-day, this veryday even, when I am twenty-two years of age, - to-day, whenI have attained the grade of the majority of kings, - to-day, when I ought to have the key of the treasury, thedirection of the policy, the supremacy in peace and war, - cast your eyes around me, see how I am left! Look at thisabandonment - this disdain - this silence! - Whilstyonder - look yonder! View the bustle, the lights, thehomage! There! - there you see the real king of France, mybrother!

"In the cardinal's apartments?"

"Yes, in the cardinal's apartments."

"Then I am condemned, sire?"

Louis XIV. made no reply.

"Condemned is the word; for I will never solicit him wholeft my mother and sister to die with cold and hunger - thedaughter and grand-daughter of Henry IV. - if M. de Retzand the parliament had not sent them wood and bread."

"To die?" murmured Louis XIV.

"Well!" continued the king of England, "poor Charles II.,grandson of Henry IV. as you are, sire, having neitherparliament nor Cardinal de Retz to apply to, will die ofhunger, as his mother and sister had nearly done."

Louis knitted his brow, and twisted violently the lace ofhis ruffles.

This prostration, this immobility, serving as a mark to anemotion so visible, struck Charles II., and he took theyoung man's hand.

"Thanks!" said he, "my brother. You pity me, and that is allI can require of you in your present situation."

"Sire," said Louis XIV., with a sudden impulse, and raisinghis head, "it is a million you require, or two hundredgentlemen, I think you say?"

"Sire, a million would be quite sufficient."

"That is very little."

"Offered to a single man it is a great deal. Convictionshave been purchased at a much lower price; and I should havenothing to do but with venalities."

"Two hundred gentlemen! Reflect! - that is little more thana single company."

"Sire, there is in our family a tradition, and that is, thatfour men, four French gentlemen, devoted to my father, werenear saving my father, though condemned by a parliament,guarded by an army and surrounded by a nation."

"Then if I can procure you a million, or two hundredgentlemen, you will be satisfied; and you will consider meyour well-affectioned brother?"

"I shall consider you as my saviour; and if I recover thethrone of my father, England will be, as long as I reign atleast, a sister to France, as you will have been a brotherto me."

"Well, my brother," said Louis, rising, "what you hesitateto ask for, I will myself demand; that which I have neverdone on my own account, I will do on yours. I will go andfind the king of France - the other - the rich, thepowerful one, I mean. I will myself solicit this million, orthese two hundred gentlemen; and - we will see."

"Oh!" cried Charles, "you are a noble friend, sire - aheart created by God! You save me, my brother; and if youshould ever stand in need of the life you restore me, demandit."

"Silence, my brother, - silence!" said Louis, in asuppressed voice. "Take care that no one hears you! We havenot obtained our end yet. To ask money of Mazarin - that isworse than traversing the enchanted forest, each tree ofwhich inclosed a demon. It is more than setting out toconquer a world."

"But yet, sire, when you ask it - - "

"I have already told you that I never asked," replied Louiswith a haughtiness that made the king of England turn pale.

And as the latter, like a wounded man, made a retreatingmovement - "Pardon me, my brother," replied he. "I haveneither a mother nor a sister who are suffering. My throneis hard and naked, but I am firmly seated on my throne.Pardon me that expression, my brother; it was that of anegotist. I will retract it, therefore, by a sacrifice, - Iwill go to monsieur le cardinal. Wait for me, if you please- I will return."