MARGUERITE DE VALOIS.
59
"No, indeed, madame; when the King of
Navarre learned that I had presumed to resist
your Majesty's orders, he dismissed me in heavy
displeasure."
"Really!" said Catherine, with a tone ex-
pressive of the deepest interest. " Well, I will
fake the arrangement of that affair iuto my own
hands; but if you are looking for Madame de
Sauve, you will do so in vain;,she is at this mo-
ment busily occupied in my apartments, and
likely to be detained much longer over her em-
ployment."
Then, thinking that Orthon might not have
had time to place his billet behind the glass
previous to her entrance, she returned to the ad-
joining chamber, in order to afford tlie requisite
opportunity for his so doing.
But just as Orthon, uneasy at the unexpected
arrival of the Queen-mother, was asking himself
whether the circumstance did not in some way
forbode evil to his master, he heard three gentle
taps against the ceiling, the very signal he was
in the habit of using to want his master of the
approach of danger during his visits to Madame
de Sauve. He started at the sound: a sudden
light seemed to break in upon his mind, and he
- appropriated the warning to himself—danger
was near, doubtless; and hastily springing to-
ward the mirror, he withdrew the paper he had
previously placed there.
Through a rent in the tapestried hangings,
-Catherine watched every movement of the youth ;
;she saw him dart forward to the mirror, but
whether to take away or to conceal the coveted
paper, she could not detect. Returning to tbe
apartment, with a smiling countenance, she
said:
" What, here still, my little man? What can
you be waiting for?—did I not promise to take
charge of your future prospects? Do you doubt
my word?"
" Heaven forfend, madame!" replied Orthon,
bowing low ; then kneeling before the Queen, he
kissed the hem of her robe, and hastily quitted
the room. As he went out, he observed the
captain of the guards, waiting the orders of
Catharine in the antechamber. This was far from
calming his apprehensions; on the contrary,
it increased the vague terror under wliich he al-
ready labored.
Immediately the folds of the massy curtain
which hung before the door had closed on the
form of Orthon, Catherine darted into the
chamber, where she expected to find the so
ardently desired billet; but vainly did she
thrust her eager hand behind the minor; no
paper of any kind was there. Again she shook
the solid frame, tapped against the glass, looked
diligently around to see if aught had fallen. All
her impatient research availed not — no letter
could she find. Yet her eyes had not deceived
her: she had distinctly seen the youth approach
the mirror; but doubtless the action she wit-
nessed was to repossess himself of his deposit—
not to place his billet.
" Unhappy boy!" cried she; " what evil des-
tiny urged you thus to attempt to measure
strength with me. I had rather not have been
your enemy, as I now must be. Ho! there, M.
oe Nancey!"
The sonorous voice of the Queen traversed
the salon, and pentrated, even to the anteroom,
where M. de Nancey awaited her orders.
At the sound of his name, thus pronounced,
the captain of the guards lost not an instant in
obeying the summons.
" What is your majesty's pleasure?" said he,
on entering.
" Did you but now observe a youth—nay, a
mere child—go hence?"
" I did, madame."
"Call him back."
" By what name shall I address him?"
" By that of Orthon. Should he refuse to re-
turn, bring him back by force, but do not alarm
lnm, if he comes unresistingly. 1 must speak
with him directly."
The captain of the guards rushed out to obey
the Queen.
Orthon had scarcely got half way down stairs,
when he heard himself called, and a cold shud-
der seized him, for he guessed who had sent for
him.
His first impulse was to fly, but with an ac-
curacy of judgment above his years, he quick-
ly perceived that flight would be certain ruin.
He therefore stopped, and inquired:
" Who calls me?"
"I do—M. de Nancey," replied the captain
of the guards, hurriedly descending the stairs.
" But I am in a very great hurry, and cannot
stay," replied Orthon.
" By order of her Majesty the Queen-mother, I
commaud you to accompany me back."
The terrified boy wiped the perspiration from
his brow, and followed M. de Nancey back to the
apartments of Madame de Sauve.
As Orthon entered the apartment where the
Queen mother awaited, he trembled, aud a death-
ly paleness came over him. The poor boy
was as yet too young to exercise a more practiced
control over himself. " Your Majesty," said
he, with a palpitating heart, "has done me the
honor to recall me—may I presume to inquire
for what purpose?"
" Child!" answered Catherine, with a bright
and encouraging smile, " your countenance
pleases me, and having promised to interest my-
self iu your welfare, I am desirous of so doing
without any delay; but first tell me, are you able
to ride well?"
" Ob, yes, madame!"
" 'Tis well; then come to me in my closet,
and I will give you a message to carry to St.-
Germains. "   ¦
" I am at your Majesty's commands."
" Then order a horse to be prepared, M. de
Nancey."
The captain of the guards disappeared on bis
errand.
" Now then, boy!" said .Catherine, leading
tbe way and signing for Orthon to follow her.
The Queen-mother descended a floor, then en-
tered the corridor in wliich were situated the
apartments of the Duke d'Alençon and the King,
reached the winding staircase, again descended
a flight of stairs, and opened a door heading to
a circular gallery, of which none but the King
and herself possessed the key, made Orthon pass
first; then, entering after him, carefully locked
the door. This gallery formed a sort of ram-
part round a portion of the apartments occupied
by the King and Queen-mother, and resembled
the corridor of the Castle of St. Ange!o, at
Rome, or that of the Pitti Palace at Florence,
destined to serve as a place of refuge in case of
danger.
The door secured, Catherine and her com-
panion found themselves inclosed in a dark
corridor. Each advanced a few steps; the
Queen leading the way and the page following,
when suddenly Catherine turned round, and
Orthon perceived on her countenance the same,
gloomy expression it had worn a few minutes
previously. Her eyes, of the shape and color of
the cat or panther, seemed to dart forth sparks
of fire.
" Stop!" cried she.
Poor Orthon felt a cold shiver pervade his
frame, while the damp, chill air of that unfre
quented spot seemed to cling around him like an
icy mantle. The ground he trod upon seemed
to re echo the dull moaning of a tomb. All
this, combined with the fierce, penetrating look
of Catherine, and his own uneasy fears, proved
too much for the page, who sunk nearly
paralyzed against the walls of this fearful spot.
"Where," said the Queen mother, fixing on
him her sharp,  intimidating   glance,  " is   the
billet .you we:e desired to give to the King of
Navarre?"
.   "The billet?" stammered Orthon.
" Ay, the billet—which, in the event of not
finding the King, you were instructed to place
behind the mirror."
"Indeed, madame," said Orthon, "I knowT
not what your Majesty alludes to."
" Nay, I but ask for the billet given you by
M. de Mouy, about an hour since, behind the
Archery Garden."
" Your Majesty is wholly mistaken or misin-
formed," answered Orthon; "I have no billet
of any kind."
" "Tis false!" said Catherine. " Give me that
letter, and I will perform the promise I have
made you."
" Indeed, indeed, madame, I have no billet to
give up."
Catherine began to lose all patience. She
ground her teeth with rage; then suddenly
checking herself, and assuming a bland smile,
she said:
" Come, come, foolish boy, surrender that
useless paper, and a thousand golden crowns
shall be your reward."
"But how can I give you what I do not
possess? Please your Majesty to credit me; I
have no such billet in my keeping."
"You shall have two thousand crowns!"
" Nay, gracious madame, since I have nothing
to give, I cannot give it."
" Say ten thousand crowns!"
Ortho, who, young as he was, could plainly
perceive the rising anger of the Queen, decided
that the only chance remaining of preserving
bis master's secret was to swallow the disputed
billet. With thi3 design, he attempted to take
it from his pocket, but the quick eye of Cath-
erine divined his^intention and stayed his pur-
pose.
"There, there, my child!" said she, laugh-
ing, " that will do. Your fidelity, it seems, is
above all temptation. Well—when royalty
would secure to itself a faithful follower, it is
requisite to try the devotedness of the heart it
would attach. I now know what opinion to
form of your zeal and faithfulness. Take this
purse, iu earnest of my future bounty, and
carry the billet to your master, with an intima-
tion that, after to-day, I take you into my serv-
ice, lou may now depart: you can let your-
self out by the door we entered at—it opens from
within."
So saying Catherine placed a heavily filled
purse in the hands of the astonished youth, and
then walked on a few steps, placing her hand
against the wall.
" Thanks, gracious madame!" murmured
Orthon. "Then you are good enough to par-
don me all I have done to displease you?"
"Nay, more; I reward you as a faithful
bearer of billets doux—a pleasing messenger of
love! One only fault I find with you; you for-
get that your master is waiting for you."
" True!" said the youth, springing toward the
door.
But scarcely had he advanced two or three
steps, than the ground gave way beneath his
feet. He stumbled, extended his hands, wiih a
fearful cry, and disappeared in one of those
horrible oubliettes of the Louvre of which
Catherine had just touched the spring.
"Now, then," said Catherine, "thanks to
this fool's obstinacy, I shall have nearly, two
hundred stairs to descend!"
The Florentine then returned to her apart-
ments, from whence she took a dark-lantern;
then returning to the gallery, closed the spring
and opened the door of a spiral staircase,
which seemed as though contrived to penetrate
into the very bowels ofthe earth. Proceeding
along tbe windings of this descent she reached a
second door, which revolving on its hinges ad-
mitted to the depths of the oubliette where-
crushed, bleeding and mutilated by a fall of more
than one hundred feet—lay the still palpitating
form of poor Orthon ; while, on the other side
of the wall forming the barrier of this dreadful
spot, the waters of the Seine were heard to
ripple by, brought by a species of subterraneous
filtration to the foot of tbe staircase.
Having reached the damp and unwholesome
abyss, which during her reign had witnessed nu-
merous similar scenes to that now enacted, Cath-
erine proceeded to search the corpse, eagerly
drew forth the desired billet, ascertained by the
lantern that it was the one she sought, then push-
ing the mangled body from her, she pressed a
spring, the bottom of the oubliette sank down,
and the corpse, borne b3r its own weight, dis-
appeared toward the river.
Closing the door after her she reascended ; and
returning to her closet, read the paper poor
Orthon had so valiantly defended. It was con-
ceived in these words:
" This evening at ten o'clock, Rue de
l'Arbre-Sec, Hotel de la belle Etoile. Should
you come, no reply is requisite; if otherwise,
send word back, No, by the bearer.
" De Mouy de Saint-Phale. "
As Catherine read these words, a smile of
triumph curled her lip. She thought only of
the victory she had gained, without once con-
sidering the price she had purchased it at.
And after all, what was Orthon? Merely
a faithful, devoted follower; a young, a hand-
some, and noble minded youth. Nothing
more!
The billet read, Catherine immediately re-
turned to the apartments of Madame de Sauve,
and placed it behind tlie mirror. As she re-
turned, she found the captain of the guards in
the corridor, awaiting her further commands.
"Madame," said M. de Nancey, "according
to your Majesty's orders, the horse has been
duljr prepared."
"Ah, indeed!" said Catherine. "But we
shall not need the horse you have prepared.
Upon questioning the youth 1 find he is not
sufficiently intelligent to be intrusted with the
message I designed to send by bim. I have
therefore made him a little present, and dis-
missed him by the small side-wicket "
"But," persisted M. de Nancey, "your
Majesty's commissions"