"Well, what do you want of Monsieur de la Mole, mother, since he was not in the rooms of the King of Navarre?"
"No," said Catharine, "he was not there, but he was with—the queen."
"With the queen!" cried Charles, bursting into a nervous laugh.
"With the queen," murmured D'Alençon, turning as pale as death.
"No, no," said Charles, "De Guise told me he had met Marguerite's litter."
"Yes," said Catharine, "she has a house in town."
"In the Rue Cloche Percée!" cried the King.
"Oh! oh! this is too much," said D'Alençon, driving his nails into his breast. "And to have had him recommended to me!"
"Ah! now that I think of it!" said the King, stopping suddenly, "it was he who defended himself against us last night, and who hurled the silver bowl at my head, the wretch!"
"Oh, yes!" repeated François, "the wretch!"