"No, sire," replied Henry, "but possibly Monsieur d'Alençon asked them."
"Monsieur d'Alençon? How so?"
"I?" said the duke.
"Why, yes, brother," said Henry; "did you not announce yesterday that you were King of Navarre? The Huguenots who demanded you for their king have come to thank you for having accepted the crown, and the King for having given it. Is it not so, gentlemen?"
"Yes! yes!" cried twenty voices. "Long live the Duc d'Alençon! Long live King Charles!"
"I am not king of the Huguenots," said François, white with anger; then, glancing stealthily at Charles, "and I sincerely trust I never shall be!"
"No matter!" said Charles, "but you must know, Henry, that I consider all this very strange."
"Sire," said the King of Navarre, firmly, "God forgive me, but one would say that I were undergoing an examination."
"And if I should tell you that you were, what would you answer?"
"That I am a king like yourself, sire," replied Henry, proudly, "for it is not the crown but birth that makes royalty, and that I would gladly answer any questions from my brother and my friend, but never from my judge."