The marquis had seen the king too often in his childhood, and the portraits that had been made of him since, to believe for an instant that the personage before him was the young Louis XIII. He thought that his poor Adamas was going mad. "Answer, I tell you!" continued the councillor impatiently. "Why do you give me the name applied to majesty?" "I do not know, monsieur," replied the crafty Adamas. "I do not know what I am saying nor where I am. My head is in a whirl with some surprising news which I have just learned, and which I ask your permission to tell my master." "Tell it! speak! say on!" cried the councillor in an extraordinarily authoritative tone. "Well, master," said Adamas, addressing the marquis, and apparently not observing the councillor's agitation, "the king is dead!" "The king is dead?" cried Monsieur Lenet, rushing toward the door, as if to go out without taking leave of anyone. But he paused, suddenly suspicious. "From whom did you learn this news?" he said, scrutinizing Adamas with gleaming eyes. "I learned it from the decrees of destiny. I learned it from heaven itself," said Adamas with an inspired air. "What does this man mean?" demanded Monsieur Lenet. "Bid him explain himself, Monsieur de Bois-Doré; I insist upon it, do you understand? and if this news of his is false, woe to him and to you!" "True or false, monsieur," replied the marquis, observant of his guest's excitement, "the news surprises and disturbs me no less than yourself. Explain yourself, Adamas; how do you know that the king is dead?" "I know it by astrology, monsieur! He showed me the figures, and I know them. I saw, I understood, I read as plainly as possible that the most powerful individual in the realm had just died." "The most powerful individual in the realm!" said the councillor thoughtfully; "perhaps that is not the king!" "You are right, monsieur," said Adamas ingenuously; "perhaps it is monsieur le connétable. I do not know the signs well enough. I may have made a mistake; but at all events it is either the king or Monsieur de Luynes; I will answer for it with my life!" "Where is this astrologer?" said the councillor hastily; "let him come here, I wish to see him!" "Yes, sire," replied Adamas, still bewildered and absorbed, hurrying toward the door. "Stay," said Lenet, detaining him. "I insist upon knowing why you call me so. Tell me, or I will break your head!" "Break nothing, monsieur!" replied Adamas; "I have lost my head; can you not see that? That word comes to my lips, I know not how; as truly as God is in heaven, this is the first time that I ever saw your face. Shall I go to find the astrologer?" "Yes, hasten! and woe to you all, if there is any trick or snare in all this! I will put the torch to your hovel!" Bois-Doré could do no more than protest his absolute ignorance of this new episode. He did not in the least understand Adamas's conduct, indeed he was somewhat disturbed by it.