Those who were sitting rose. I nodded to Maignan to go
to the man.
"It is a fit," I said. "He is subject to them, and doubtless the
excitement--but I am sorry that it has spoiled your Majesty's
game.
"It has not," Henry answered kindly. "The light is gone. But
have him looked to, will you, my friend? If La Riviere were here
he might do something for him."
While he spoke, the servants had gathered round the man, but with
the timidity which characterises that class in such emergencies,
they would not touch him. As I crossed the court, and they made
way for me, the Spaniard, who was still standing, though in a
strange and distorted fashion, turned his bloodshot eyes on me.
"A priest!" he muttered, framing the words with difficulty, "a
priest!"
I directed Maignan to fetch one. "And do you," I continued to
the other servants, "take him into a room somewhere."
They obeyed, reluctantly. As they carried him out, the King,
content with my statement, was giving his hand to Mademoiselle to
descend the stairs; and neither he nor any, save the two men in
my confidence, had the slightest suspicion that aught was the
matter beyond a natural illness.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80