"I pray your Majesty to remember that it is Madame d'Etampes who proffers this request. Come, madame, add your prayers to mine," he added, causing a corner of the letter to protrude from his pocket, "for if you are silent much longer, his Majesty will think that you make the request solely from a desire to oblige me." "Is it true that you desire this marriage, madame?" inquired François. "Yes, Sire," murmured Madame d'Etampes; "I do desire it--earnestly." The adverb was extracted by a fresh exhibition of the letter. "But how do I know," said the king, "that the provost will accept for his son-in-law a nameless, penniless youth?" "In the first place, Sire," Benvenuto replied, "the provost, being a loyal subject, will surely have no other will than his king's. In the second place, Ascanio is not nameless; he is a Gaddo Gaddi, and one of his ancestors was Podesta of Florence. He is a goldsmith, it is true, but in Italy it is no disgrace to belong to that guild. Furthermore, even if he could boast of no ancient nobility, as I am at liberty to insert his name in the letters patent which have been forwarded to me by your Majesty's directions, he will be a nobleman of recent creation. Oh, think not that it requires any sacrifice on my part to resign in his favor. To reward my Ascanio is to reward myself twice over. So it is settled, Sire, that he is Seigneur de Nesle, and I will not let him want for money. He may, if he will, lay aside his profession, and buy a company of lances, or an appointment at court. I will provide the funds." "And we shall look to it, you may be sure, that your generosity does not lighten your purse too much." "Then I may consider, Sire--" "Ascanio Gaddo Gaddi, Seigneur de Nesle, let it be!" cried the king, laughing heartily: the certainty that Madame d'Etampes was faithful to him had put him in a joyous humor. "Madame," said Cellini, in an undertone, "you cannot in conscience leave the Seigneur de Nesle at the Châtelet; it was well enough for Ascanio." Madame d'Etampes called an officer of the guards, and whispered a few words, the concluding ones being these:-- "In the king's name!" "What are you doing, madame?" demanded François. "Madame d'Etampes is simply sending a messenger for the bridegroom that is to be, Sire," interposed Cellini. "Where?" "Where Madame d'Etampes, who knew the king's kindness of heart, bade him await your Majesty's pleasure." Fifteen minutes later, the door of the apartment opened, in which were assembled Colombe, the provost, D'Orbec, the Spanish ambassador, and almost the whole court, except Marmagne, who was still confined to his bed. An usher cried,-- "The king!" François I. entered, leading Diane de Poitiers, and followed by Benvenuto, upon one of whose arms was leaning the Duchesse d'Etampes, and on the other Ascanio, each of them being as pale as the other.