"How about this new tax which has been levied?" asked Diane.
"The funds produced by that," said the cardinal, "are to be appropriated to the payment and maintenance of the troops."
"In that event," was Diane's rejoinder, "the better part of them should go to the leader of the troops."
"Very well, the leader is at Calais?" replied the cardinal.
"No, indeed, he is here in Paris, at the Louvre," retorted Diane.
"Pray, Madame, do you desire that failure and defeat should be rewarded?"
"That would be much better, Monsieur le Cardinal, than that mad recklessness should be encouraged."
"Enough of this!" the king interposed; "do you not see that your quarrelling tires and annoys me? Do you know, Madame, and Monsieur de Lorraine, the quatrain which I came across recently in my book of Hours?"
"A quatrain?" Diane and Charles de Lorraine repeated with one breath.
"If my memory serves me," said Henri, "it was this:—"