I am sure my mother was as uneasy as any of us when he did not appear on the morning after he had gone with his father on the deputation to St. Germain. However, he did come later on in the afternoon, bringing a note from Meg. He had not seen her, only Nicolas and little Gaspard, and he, like all the rest, was greatly incensed at the manner in which the magistrates had been treated. His father had, he said, caught a violent cold, and had been forced to go to bed at once. In fact it really was the poor old man’s death-stroke, and he never quitted his chamber, hardly even his bed.
The Parliament, in a rage, put forth a decree, declaring the Cardinal an enemy to the State, and ordering him to leave the Court and kingdom on that very day, calling on all loyal subjects to fall on him, and forbidding any one to give him shelter.
We heard loud acclamations, which made us think something unusual was going on, and it was the publication of this precious edict. I wondered who they thought was going to attend to it when M. Darpent brought in a copy. And my mother began to cry and talk about Lord Strafford. I had to think of Eustace and bite my tongue to keep my patience at our noble ‘thorough’ Wentworth being likened to that base cringing Italian.
Clement Darpent said, however, that every one had passed it by acclamation, except Bernai, who was a mere cook, and gave fine dinners to such a set of low, loose creatures that he was called ‘le cabaretier de la cour.’ Moreover, they proceeded to give orders for levying 4000 horse and 10,000 foot. This really did mean civil war.
‘I knew it,’ said my mother, ‘it is the next step after denouncing the King’s minister. We shall see you next armed cap-a-pie, like our young advocates at home, all for the King’s behalf, according to them.’
Of course she was thinking of Harry Merrycourt, but she was surprised by the answer.
‘No, Madam, nothing shall induce me to bear arms against the King. So much have I learned from the two living persons who I esteem the most.’
‘And they are?’ asked my lady.
‘My mother and monsieur votre fils,’ he replied.
And I could not help crying out—