"Yes, keep with her," returned the Prince. He was turning away when he added, "Whom does she meet in this workshop?"
"Very few, Highness; sometimes there is there a certain Rubens, a lawyer, and his wife, who are friends of Duprès."
"That is not company for the Princess of Orange," said the Prince. He frowned, hesitated; then turned sharply away.
Rénèe stood still a moment, the rose colour glowing in her face, then went in search of Anne.
But the Princess was not in Duprès' laboratory; the waiting-woman found her in her room, sunk in the apathy that was the usual result of her fits of passion.
She sullenly bade Rénèe leave her alone, and that lady turned away, idleness and the whole afternoon before her. Katrine had already slipped out into the garden to meet some cavalier, the other women each had her own duty or her leisure; there was no company for Rénèe. She went out into the beautiful galleries, empty for once, and turned rapidly towards the hall where the Prince was to meet the grandees. It was one of the principal chambers of the mansion, and had a large musician's gallery from which Rénèe and the other waiting-women and pages often watched the balls, masques, and feasts going on below.
Rénèe now tried the little door leading to the private staircase of the gallery—it was unlocked; the meeting was no secret, and precautions against eavesdroppers had not been taken. With a heart strangely beating, Rénèe mounted the little dark stair and came softly out into the gallery which was shadowed and partly concealed by long crimson brocade curtains stitched and fringed with black.
Sheltered by the heavy folds, the waiting-woman peeped down into the hall glowing from the light of a great fire which flamed up the huge chimney, and sparkling from the winter sunlight pouring through the coloured glass of the high long windows.
On the walls hung tapestries of silk run with gleams of bullion: they represented the story of Medea and Jason.
Against the brilliant background were grouped all the grandees and nobles who were leagued against the Cardinal.