'He is here by the King's orders, by the orders of Henry the Great,' said Palin with bitterness. 'Monsieur, you seem a man of honour, what do you think of a king who would force a marriage on a woman to——' and he whispered words in my ear which struck me speechless.
I could not believe him. It was incredible. Was this the hero king, the gallant soldier, the father of his people? It could not be true.
Palin saw the doubt on my face.
'Even you,' he said; 'well, go to Paris and see.'
'I shall go, I am going to-day.'
'It will be at the risk of your life.'
'Maître Palin, there is the King's Peace, and even if it were not so I will go.'
He looked at me long and attentively: 'Let it be so,' he muttered to himself, and then loudly, 'Well, Chevalier, I have warned you; if you go you will want a safe lodging—seek out Pantin in the Rue des Deux Mondes, and mention my name. The house faces the Pont Neuf, you can't miss it.'
'Thank you, I will do so.'
Then after a few minutes more of talk we wished each other good-bye and parted.