He was a spirited ancient, and he shook his staff meaningly.
“That may not be,” said Louis smoothly, “since you are pronounced deceased.”
“By whom?”
“By the King.”
“I am, nevertheless, very much alive.”
“Impossible, when the King himself has ruled you dead. Why else should he have filled your office? As Prior, father, believe us, you are hopelessly defunct; as priest and man you may yet exist on our sufferance. We do not hold it altogether a capital offence, your thus presuming to refute our conclusions by being alive; yet, Pasque-Dieu! the inconvenience you cause us by your inconsiderateness is little less than monstrous. We should have liked to hear some note of apology from you, some hint of regret for your unconscionable survival; but there, it is a self-seeking world.”
The old man stood amazed and speechless; nor was his bewilderment lessened by the kindness with which the King presently took his arm and walked him off up the garden.
“A monarch’s word, father,” said Louis, “is sacred, as much to himself as to another. Anything else that it is in our power to bestow upon you we shall be happy to consider in the light of your palpable deserts. Now we shall place you in the hands of M. de Comines, our Secretary of State, with orders to him to attend to your interests.”
So, with a hundred questions as to the Grand Turk and the pilgrim’s adventures by the way, he led him to the palace and got rid of him.
For good and all, as he supposed; but in that he was very quickly disillusioned. The deposed prior was by no means the man to take his cashiering meekly. Stubborn and masterful by nature, the authority of his late achievement had but consolidated his sense of righteousness. His interview with M. de Comines left him with no delusions. The Secretary bowed him out with a whole bouquet of flowery phrases, which, being cut for decorative purposes, were destined to bear no fruit. Père Bonaventure, lolling in his chair at St. Come, laughed securely. “Rira bien qui rira le dernier!” chanted his predecessor with a bitter grimness.