A full ray of dusky sunlight struck across the canvas and gave the painted face something of the glow and bloom of life. The large brown eyes seemed to sparkle, the red lips to move, the white breast to heave. The King was still looking straight at this picture when a messenger entered. At a glance William saw that his dispatches were from England and France. He set the wine down, and broke open that from London. M. Heinsius, intently watching him, saw his countenance change, a violent flush rise to his cheek, and his hands tremble. He pulled his hat over his eyes to cover his emotion, and nervously tore open the French dispatch. M. Heinsius saw that this was in the hand of my Lord Manchester, English Ambassador in Paris. When the King had read it he was composed again, but even paler than usual. He folded both the letters up and placed them in the huge flap pocket of his coat; then he cast his dimmed but still eagle eye round the table. "Gentlemen," he said, in a firm voice, "His late Majesty King James is dead at St. Germains." He pushed back his chair a little and drew a quick breath. "And King Louis hath shamelessly outraged us by proclaiming his son, the pretended Prince of Wales, as King of Great Britain." For a moment the company could not grasp the import of this news: it was too monstrous. "His Christian Majesty hath been foolish before," added William, with grim meaning; "never, I think, as foolish as this." "By God!" cried M. Heinsius, "there will be no further difficulty with England now!" The silence broke into murmurs and exclamations. The King took no notice of them; he was thinking of the meaning of this in Europe. Louis had now broken the Treaty of Ryswyck as he had the Partition Treaties. The result would be instant and inevitable war. Even the peace party in the English Commons could not hang back now... He turned suddenly to Albemarle. "Send at once to London that M. Poussin is to leave as quickly as M. Barillon did in ’88." He laughed shortly. "This will be the second time I have turned a French Ambassador out of London! And Manchester shall be recalled at once." He rose. "Gentlemen," he said, addressing the eager Dutch and Germans, "this meaneth our third war with France; and this time I think it will be conclusive, and we, not France, be left the vanguard of the world." CHAPTER XV THE EVE OF WAR Service was being held in the Royal Chapel at Hampton Court. There were not many people there: only the King, the officers of his household, and one or two others, including Mr. Prior, new come from The Hague. William knelt alone in his pew while his chaplain delivered the final and beautiful prayers of the Anglican service; he was not listening to or repeating these prayers.