"We must be indulgent and generous, François. Pray, do you suppose that your lady-mother, Catherine de Médicis, gives me much pleasure when, with her pale face sternly set, she reads me endless sermons upon my dress and my servants and my establishment? Can you not hear her now saying to me, with her lips pursed up, 'My daughter, you are the queen. I am to-day only the second woman in the kingdom; but if I were in your place, I should require my women to attend Mass no less regularly than vespers and the sermon; if I were in your place, I would never wear carnation velvet, because it is too gaudy a color; if I were in your place, I would have my silver-gray dress made over, because it is too _décollettée_; if I were in your place, I would never dance myself, but would be content to watch others; if I were in your place--'" "Oh, oh!" cried the king, shrieking with laughter; "it is my mother herself! But then, you see, _mignonne_, she is my mother, after all; and I have already offended her grievously by leaving no share for her in the affairs of State, which are entirely administered by your uncles; so we must put up with some things we don't like, and respectfully bear with her scolding. I, too, will resign myself to the gentle tutelage of the Cardinal de Lorraine, just because you are his niece, do you hear?" "Thanks, dear Sire!--thanks for the sacrifice!" and Mary emphasized her words with a kiss. "But, joking apart," continued François, "there are times when I am tempted to renounce the title of king, as I have already abandoned the power." "Oh, why do you say that?" cried Mary. "Because I feel it, Mary. Ah, if only it were not necessary to be King of France in order to be your husband! Just consider a moment! I have nought but the weariness and restraints of royalty. The humblest of our subjects is freer than I. Why, if I had not been downright angry at the suggestion, we should have had to occupy separate apartments! Why, do you suppose? Because they alleged that it was the custom of kings and queens of France!" "How ridiculous they are with their customs!" exclaimed Mary. "Oh, well, we have changed all that, and established a new custom,--which, thank God, is much better than the other." "To be sure it is, Mary. But, tell me, do you know the secret desire I have been cherishing for a long time?" "No,--indeed I do not." "Well, it is to break loose for a while,--to fly or steal away, and leave the throne to take care of itself; to turn our backs upon Paris, Blois, yes, even upon France itself, and go--where? I don't know nor care, so long as it is far away from here, where we can breathe at our ease for a little while like other people. Mary, would not such a journey, say for six months or a year, please you?"