"Jean Louis Alberic, Baron de Raunay, guilty of heresy, of the crime of _lèse-majesté_, and of attacking with arms in his hand the person of the king." "You lie like two clowns, you and your cardinal," said De Raunay; "it is only against him and his brother that we took up arms. I hope they may both meet death as peacefully and as pure in heart as I." Thereupon he laid his head upon the block. The last two condemned men sang on,-- "Dieu tu nous as mis à l'épreuve, Et tu nous as examinés; Comme l'argent que l'on épreuve, Par feu tu nous as affinés."[7] Again the clerk resumed his deadly summons,-- "Robert Jean René Briquemaut, Comte de Villemongis, guilty of heresy, of the crime of _lèse-majesté_, and of a criminal attempt against the king's person." Villemongis bathed his hands in De Raunay's blood; and raising them toward heaven, he cried,-- "Heavenly Father, Thou seest the blood of Thy children! Thou wilt avenge them!" He fell lifeless as he spoke. Castelnau, left quite alone, still sang,-- "Tu nous as fait entrer et joindre Aux pièges de nos ennemis; Tu nous as fait les reins astreindre Des filets où tu nous as mis."[8] The Duc de Nemours had been lavish with his gold in furtherance of his hope of saving Castelnau. The clerk and even the executioners were interested in his salvation. The first executioner said that he was exhausted; and there was a necessary interruption while the other was preparing to relieve him. Gabriel took advantage of it to urge the duke to renewed efforts. Jacques de Savoie thereupon leaned toward the Duchesse de Guise, with whom he was said to be on the very best terms, and whispered in her ear. The duchess had much influence over the mind of the queen. She at once rose, as if she could not bear any more of the sad spectacle, and said loud enough for Mary to hear: "Ah, this is too horrible for ladies! Do you see how ill the queen is? Let us go." But the Cardinal de Lorraine gazed sternly at his sister-in-law. "A little more firmness, Madame," said he, harshly. "Remember that you are of the blood of D'Este and the wife of the Duc de Guise." "Ah, and that is just why I am so troubled!" retorted the duchess. "No mother ever had better cause for suffering; for all this bloodshed and all the hatred aroused by this day's work will fall upon our innocent children." "How weak women are!" muttered the cardinal, who was an arrant coward. "However," said the Duc de Nemours, "one does not need to be a woman to be touched by this mournful picture. Tell me, Prince," said he to Monsieur de Condé, "are not you moved by it?" "Oh, ho!" sneered the cardinal; "the prince is a soldier, accustomed to see death in all forms." "Yes, on the battle-field," replied the prince, courageously; "but upon the scaffold, and in cold blood,--that's quite another matter!"