‘And the Lady of Beauty? I long to see her.’
‘Her beauty is passing—except that which was better worth the solid castle the King gave her,’ laughed the stout citizen, who seemed to be in charge of them.
‘The Dauphiness, too—will she be there?’
‘Ah, the Dauphiness!’ said the elder woman, with a meaning sound and shake of the head.
‘Scandal—evil tongues!’ growled the man.
‘Nay, Master Jerome, there’s no denying it, for a merchant of Bourges told me. She runs about the country on foot, like no discreet woman, let alone a princess, with a good-for-nothing minstrel after her. Ah, you may grunt and make signs, but I had it from the Countess de Craylierre’s own tirewoman, who came for a bit of lace, that the Dauphin is about to the Sire Jamet de Tillay caught her kissing the minstrel on a bench in the garden at Nanci.’
‘I would not trust the Sire de Tillay’s word. He is in debt to every merchant of the place—a smooth-tongued deceiver. Belike he is bribed to defame the poor lady, that the Dauphin may rid himself of a childless wife.’
The young girl was growing restless, declaring that the rain was over, and that they should miss the getting good places at the show. Margaret had stood all this time leaning against her pillar, with hands clenched together and teeth firm set, trying to control the shuddering of horror and indignation that went through her whole frame. She started convulsively when Linette moved after the burgher, but put a force upon herself when she perceived that it was in order to inquire how best to reach the Hotel de Terreforte.
He pointed to the opposite door of the church, and Linette, reconnoitring and finding that it led into a street entirely quiet and deserted, went back to the Dauphiness, whom she found sunk on her knees, stiff and dazed.
‘Come, Madame,’ she entreated, trying to raise her, ‘the Hotel de Terreforte is near, these houses shelter us, and the rain is nearly over.’