"It would be a right well adapted title, friend Charles," said Le Glorieux, "considering that a woman is the reward of the most valiant."
"Well spoken, Sagacity," said Louis – "Cousin, good-night, I will go arm me. – By the way, what if I win the Countess with mine own hand?"
"Your Majesty," said the Duke, in an altered tone of voice, "must then become a true Fleming."
"I cannot," answered Louis, in a tone of the most sincere confidence, "be more so than I am already, could I but bring you, my dear cousin, to believe it."
The Duke only replied by wishing the King good-night, in a tone resembling the snort of a shy horse, starting from the caress of the rider when he is about to mount, and is soothing him to stand still.
"I could pardon all his duplicity," said the Duke to Crèvecoeur, "but cannot forgive his supposing me capable of the gross folly of being duped by his professions."
Louis, too, had his confidences with Oliver le Dain when he returned to his own quarters. – "This Scot," he said, "is such a mixture of shrewdness and simplicity, that I know not what to make of him. Pasques-dieu! think of his unpardonable folly in bringing out honest De la Marck's plan of a sally before the face of Burgundy, Crèvecoeur, and all of them, instead of rounding it in my ear, and giving me at least the choice of abetting or defeating it!"
"It is better as it is, Sire," said Oliver; "there are many in your present train who would scruple to assail Burgundy undefied, or to ally themselves with De la Marck."
"Thou art right, Oliver. Such fools there are in the world, and we have no time to reconcile their scruples by a little dose of self-interest. We must be true men, Oliver, and good allies of Burgundy, for this night at least, – time may give us a chance of a better game. Go, tell no man to unarm himself; and let them shoot, in case of necessity, as sharply on those who cry France and St Dennis! as if they cried Hell and Satan! I will myself sleep in my armour. Let Crawford place Quentin Durward on the extreme point of our line of sentinels, next to the city. Let him e'en have the first benefit of the sally which he has announced to us – if his luck bear him out, it is the better for him. But take an especial care of Martius Galeotti, and see he remain in the rear, in a place of the most absolute safety – he is even but too venturous; and, like a fool, would be both swordsman and philosopher. See to these things, Oliver, and good-night – Our Lady of Clery, and Monseigneur Saint Martin of Tours, be gracious to my slumbers!"[60]