Louis XIII left Lyons to return to Paris on December 19. At La Charité, where he spent Christmas, news arrived of the death of the Prince de Guéméné, governor of the Maine, and the King offered the vacant office to Bassompierre. The marshal, however, declined it, on the ground that he desired “to receive his [the King’s] favours and benefits at such intervals that the King should be praised for his kindness and he himself for his modesty, and that, as only two months had elapsed since he had honoured him with the office of marshal of France, if he were to make him so soon governor of a province, people would talk about it.” We are, however, inclined to think that the real reason of his refusal was his disinclination to leave the Court--for the governor of a province was obliged to reside there for several months in each year--partly owing to the attraction which court life had for him, and partly because he knew that to retain the favour of a king like Louis XIII it was necessary to be with him constantly. CHAPTER XXX Fall of Schomberg--La Vieuville becomes _Surintendant des Finances_--His bitter jealousy of Bassompierre--He informs Louis XIII that the marshal “deserves the Bastille or worse”--Semi-disgrace of Bassompierre, who, however, succeeds in making his peace with the King--Mismanagement of public affairs by Puisieux and his father, the Chancellor Brulart de Sillery--La Vieuville and Richelieu intrigue against them and procure their dismissal from office--The Earl of Holland arrives in Paris to sound the French Court on the question of a marriage between the Prince of Wales and Henrietta Maria--Bassompierre takes part in a grand ballet at the Louvre--La Vieuville accuses the marshal of drawing more money for the Swiss than he is entitled to--Foreign policy of La Vieuville--Richelieu re-enters the Council--Bassompierre accused by La Vieuville of being a pensioner of Spain--Serious situation of the marshal--The Connétable Lesdiguières advises Bassompierre to leave France, but the latter decides to remain--Differences between La Vieuville and Richelieu over the negotiations for the English marriage--Arrogance and presumption of La Vieuville--Intrigues of Richelieu against him--The King informs Bassompierre that he has decided to disgrace La Vieuville--Indiscretion of the marshal--Duplicity of Louis XIII towards his Minister--Fall of La Vieuville--Richelieu becomes the virtual head of the Council. In the second week in January, 1623, the Court reached Paris, and Louis XIII made “a kind of entry” into his capital. This event appears to have given rise to a good deal of unpleasantness:--