“Ideas?” said I, as if I had never heard the word before, looking slyly at our good Lord of Asnois, who laughed to himself under his big bushy beard, but let me go on.
“Ideas do not seem to grow plentifully in this part of the country,” said Maillebois with his heavy playfulness, “but I mean I want to know what the people are thinking,—are they loyal to Church and King?”
“God is great, and so is His Majesty; we are devoted to both of them.”
“And how about the Princes?”
“They too are great gentlemen.”
“Do you mean that you are on their side?”
“Yes, indeed, my Lord, we are close beside them.”
“In that case you must be against Concini?”
“By no means, your Lordship, we are for him also.”
“But, man, you don’t seem to understand that they are enemies.”