Henry of Guise; or, The States of Blois (Vol. 3 of 3)James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
Henry of Guise; or, The States of Blois (Vol. 3 of 3)
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Guise, Henri, duc de, 1550-1588 -- Fiction
One of them was the master of the horses which the Abbé had hired, and
he was found not at all unwilling to enter into any arrangement that
the Count chose to propose. Marie de Clairvaut was placed in the
carriage, the horsemen surrounded it, and Charles himself was about to
mount his horse, when he perceived that the boy Ignati had not
followed him, but remained kneeling by the side of the Abbé de
Boisguerin. Turning quickly back, to his utter surprise he found the
youth weeping bitterly; and when he urged him to rise and come with
the carriage, Ignati shook his head saying, "No, no! I cannot leave
him like dead carrion for the hawks and ravens.--He was my father! Go
on, my Lord Count, and God speed you!--I must see him buried, and
masses said for his soul!"
The Count was moved, but he could not remain; and giving the boy some
money, he said, "Spend that upon his funeral, Ignati; and then follow
me with all speed to Lyons. I grieve for you, my boy, though I
understand not how this can be."
Only one more difficulty existed, which was, to pass through that part
of the town leading to the bridge over the Loire. But the servants who
had made their escape from the castle, and brought round their fellows
to his assistance, assured the Count that the news of the Duke of
Guise's murder had already spread through the city, and that every
thing was in such a state of confusion and dismay, he might pass with
the greatest security.
Such he found to be the case; all the guard of the King was within the
walls of the château; the gates of the bridges, and of the town
itself, were in the hands of the faction of the League; and no
questions were asked of one who was known to have been the dear and
intimate friend of the murdered Duke.
Taking his way through a part of the country devoted to the League,
Charles of Montsoreau and his fair companion found no difficulty in
reaching Lyons, where the history of all that had taken place was soon
told to the Duke of Mayenne, and the last lines which the hand of
Henry of Guise ever traced were shown to him, who was destined
thenceforth to be the great head of the League.
Had the words and the wishes of his brother not been sufficient for
Mayenne, the necessity of binding to his cause for ever one whose aid
was so important as that of Charles of Montsoreau, would have been
enough to decide the Duke's conduct towards him: and as soon as
possible, after all the anguish, difficulty, and danger, which they
had undergone together, the fate of the young Count of Logères and
Marie de Clairvaut was united for ever.
In regard to them it need only be said that they loved each other to
the last hours of life.
The boy Ignati followed the young Count to Lyons, but he would not
remain with the man who had taken his father's life. He subsequently
devoted himself to the church, and in the end rose high, by the great
interest that was exercised on his behalf.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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