He touched a small handbell as he concluded, and the page appeared. "Defaure," he said, "send the Abbé Le Clere and my gentlemen to me; after that you will please inform the steward that apartments are to be prepared at once for M. Donati, who is here." The page bowed and vanished, and as I rose to await the coming of the suite, the cardinal went on with a smile, "Messieurs in the ante-room are doubtless getting impatient; we must make haste to receive them." As he said these words a grey-haired priest entered, bearing on a cushion the scarlet hat of a prince of the church, and following him, half-a-dozen gentlemen, and grooms of the chamber. The cardinal rose, and leaning on the arm of Bayard, walked slowly towards the door. Le Clerc bore the hat immediately before him, and the rest of us formed a queue behind. As we came to the door it was flung open by two lackeys in a blue and silver livery, who shouted out-- "My Lord Cardinal--way--way." We passed into the room where the people were arranged in two rows, and D'Amboise walked down the line, bowing to one, exchanging a word or two with another, until he came opposite Corte. The doctor dropped to his knee, and presenting his book, solicited the cardinal's influence to obtain for him an audience with the Pope, to whom he desired to dedicate his work. "_Perte!_" said the cardinal. "Why not go to his eminence of Strigonia--books are more in his line than--well, we shall see--we shall see." He passed on, and the next group that caught his eye was that of the young stranger in the cloth of gold and his companion. As the cardinal approached, the young man drew a letter from his vest, and presented it with a low bow. D'Amboise tore it open and glanced over the contents. "_Diable!_" he exclaimed, "from Madame de la Tremouille herself. See here, Bayard, the Duchess writes, introducing her friend the Chevalier St. Armande--I know not the house." "We are of Picardy, your eminence." The voice was singularly sweet and soft, and a strange and undefinable resemblance in its tones to some other voice I had heard struck me, but I could not fix upon anything. "The Duchess says you are anxious to serve; would it not have been easier to send you to the Duke?" St. Armande looked round with a heightened colour, and then replied, speaking in the same low, soft tones: "If your eminence will kindly read the letter, you will perceive that my desire was to see something of the court of Rome before joining the duke." D'Amboise glanced at the letter again, and an odd smile passed over his face. "I see," he added, "the postscript--My dear Chevalier, Madame de la Tremouille's requests are commands to me. If you will do me the honour of joining my suite, I shall be delighted. Permit me to introduce you to the Cavaliere Donati, who is also a new friend."