“Indeed! What happened?”
“There was a council this morning, a hurried, sudden council, to consider the Constable’s move. The Guise was not there. He refrained from coming; but that Red Phalaris, the Cardinal, urged the hastening of his bloody design.”
“The execution of Condé?”
“Yes. He and his creatures wanted it done at once. Sancerre and myself protested. He then threatened us with a like fate. There was a stormy scene; but the Chancellor stood firm. My God! He is the one honest man in France! A Prince of the blood was not to be dragged to death like a common malefactor, he said, in flatly refusing to affix the great seal to the decree. Then the Cardinal played another card. The safety of the kingdom was above the law—that was the point he pressed, and I believe he would have won, but for the sudden news that the King had been taken with a seizure, and commanded the instant presence of Catherine and the Chancellor.”
“A move of the Medicis to delay things.”
“Perhaps so, perhaps not; but it has given us breathing space. The Council is adjourned until to-morrow afternoon. As he left Charles of Lorraine turned to Sancerre and myself, saying that to-morrow he would produce such evidence that, seal or no seal, the Prince would die,” and he added, with his sinister smile, “in company too.”
I thought of my compact with Achon, but merely said:
“So they want another Amboise.”
“But we will balk them yet, I hope. I have sent a trusty messenger to the Constable urging him on no account to delay, and Sancerre has fled.”
“Sancerre gone!”