"Henri feigns to care for nothing but love and pleasure, and then passes his time working with Mornay, who never seems to sleep, and does not know what love means. Queen Marguerite has lovers, and the king knows it, and tolerates them, because he has need of them, or of her--perhaps of both. Happily, God, in giving him the genius for intrigue, did not add to it that of war; for they say he is afraid of the noise of musketry, and that when he was taken, when quite young, to battle, he could not stay more than a quarter of an hour in the saddle. It is lucky, for if he had the arm, as well as the head, this man might do anything. "There is certainly the Duc de Guise, who has both, but he has the disadvantage of being known as brave and skillful, so that every one is on their guard against him, while no one fears the Béarnais. I alone have seen through him. Well, having seen through him, I have no more to do here; so while he works or sleeps, I will go quietly out of the city. There are not many ambassadors, I think, who can boast of having fulfilled their mission in one day, as I have. So I will leave Nerac, and gallop till I am in France." And he began to put on his spurs. CHAPTER LI. CHICOT'S ASTONISHMENT AT FINDING HIMSELF SO POPULAR IN NERAC. Chicot, having taken his resolution, began to prepare his little packet. "How much time will it take me," thought he, as he did so, "to carry to the king the news of what I have seen and fear? Two days to arrive at a city whence the governor can send couriers; Cahors, for example, of which Henri of Navarre thinks so much. Once there, I can rest, for after all a man must rest some time. Come, then, Chicot, speed and sang froid. You thought you had accomplished your mission, and you are but half-way through it." Chicot now extinguished the light, opened his door softly, and began to creep downstairs on tip-toe. He went into an antechamber, but he had hardly gone four steps before he kicked against something. This something was D'Aubiac lying on a mat. "Ah! good-evening, M. d'Aubiac," said Chicot, "but get out of the way a little, I beg; I want to go for a walk." "Ah! but it is forbidden to walk by night near this castle." "Why so?" "Because the king fears robbers, and the queen lovers." "Diable!" "None but robbers or lovers want to walk at night, when they ought to be sleeping." "However, dear M. d'Aubiac," said Chicot, with his most charming smile, "I am neither the one nor the other, but an ambassador, very tired from having talked Latin with the queen and supped with the king; let me go out then, my friend, for I want a walk." "In the city, M. Chicot?" "Oh no! in the gardens." "Peste! that is still more forbidden than in the city." "My little friend, you are very vigilant for your age. Have you nothing to occupy yourself with?" "No." "You neither gamble nor fall in love." "To gamble one must have money, M. Chicot, and to be in love, one must find a lady."