"Never too late while there is life," cried the King. "Loose the boat and take those oars." "What would your Majesty do?" cried Leoni. "Go back to Henry and meet him face to face. Let him work his will on me if he dares. But he shall not injure a hair of that brave boy's head. Bah! He would not have dared." "You are mistaken, Sire." "In what?" "In King Henry's intentions. He meant your death." "What! In cold blood to slay a brother king?" "Not a brother king, Sire, but the Comte de la Seine, who had entered his Court in disguise." "Impossible, Leoni! I repeat, he would not dare." "Sire, your death warrant was made out." "What!" "I saw it, Sire, in Lord Hurst's hands; and he told me indirectly what was to take place." "Leoni!" cried the King. "Those are the simple words of truth, Sire. That death warrant, signed by the King's own hand, was the mainspring of my action. Was I not justified in doing anything to save your life?" The King was silent. "Leoni!" he exclaimed at length. "I am faint with hunger. Is there no place near where we can get food?" "There is a farm we passed a little lower down, Sire," replied Leoni; "but we dared not stay for fear the pursuers might be searching either bank." "Let them search and find if they will," cried the King. "I must have refreshment before I do more." "Your Majesty wishes us to row there and take our chance of being discovered?" "Yes," said the King, "and at once. But stay. You are certain that the Count's death warrant was signed?" "Yes, Sire; sure." "Bah! If I declared myself there would be an end to that?" "No, Sire." "What!" cried the King. "Henry doubtless has his ends and would gladly have you dead. If you declared yourself now he would laugh you to scorn and call you impostor, cheat." "Hah!" cried the King, grinding his teeth. "Let him if he dare! But I will not believe it of him, going as I shall now, for nothing shall stay me from hurrying back to save that poor lad's life." "But, your Majesty, let me implore you!" cried Leoni. "Implore, then, but you will find me deaf." "For your own sake, Sire!" "It is for my sake I go--mine honour as a king." "For the sake of your servants, then, who have risked so much!" "I cannot! I will not," he cried. "I will go." "For the sake of France, the country you so dearly love!" "It is for the sake of France I go, to prove myself worthy the name of her King. You urge me to perform a dastardly act in fleeing at a time like this." "Remember, Sire, the reason why you came."