At this moment, however, the door opened, and D’Epernon appeared, without hat or cloak, and with his doublet all torn.
“Bon Dieu!” cried Henri, “what is the matter?”
“Sire,” said D’Epernon, “look at me; see how they treat the friends of your majesty.”
“Who has treated you thus?”
“Mordieu, your people; or rather the people of; M. le Duc d’Anjou, who cried, ‘Vive la Messe!’ ‘Vive Guise!’ ‘Vive François!—vive everyone, in fact, except the king.”
“And what did you do to be treated thus?”
“I? nothing. What can a man do to a people? They recognized me for your majesty’s friend, and that was enough.”
“But Schomberg?”
“Well?”
“Did he not come to your aid? did he not defend you?”