"She will do it," said the Bailli d'Orléans drily. This personage, the Jacques Coeur of his day, and one of the richest middle-class men of his time, was named Groslot, and was envoy from Jeanne d'Albret to the French Court. "Do you think so?" said the Chancellor of France to the Chancellor of Navarre, quite understanding the full import of Groslot's remark. "Don't you know," said the rich provincial, "that the Queen of Navarre has nothing of the woman in her but her sex? She is devoted to none but manly things; her mind is strong in important matters, and her heart undaunted by the greatest adversities." "Monsieur le Cardinal," said the Chancellor Olivier to Monsieur de Tournon, who had heard Groslot, "what do you think of such boldness?" "The Queen of Navarre does well to choose for her Chancellor a man from whom the House of Lorraine will need to borrow, and who offers the King his house when there is a talk of moving to Orleans," replied the Cardinal. The Chancellor and the Cardinal looked at each other, not daring to speak their thoughts; but Robertet expressed them, for he thought it necessary to make a greater display of devotion to the Guises than these great men, since he was so far beneath them. "It is most unfortunate that the House of Navarre, instead of abjuring the faith of their fathers, do not abjure the spirit of revenge and rebellion inspired by the Connétable de Bourbon. We shall see a repetition of the wars of the Armagnacs and the Bourguignons." "No," said Groslot, "for there is something of Louis XI. in the Cardinal de Lorraine." "And in Queen Catherine too," observed Robertet. At this moment Madame Dayelle, Mary Stuart's favorite waiting-woman, crossed the room, and went to the Queen's chamber. The appearance of the waiting-woman made a little stir. "We shall be admitted directly," said Madame Fieschi. "I do not think so," said the Duchesse de Guise. "Their Majesties will come out, for a State Council is to be held." La Dayelle slipped into the royal chamber after scratching at the door, a deferential custom introduced by Catherine de' Medici, and adopted by the French Court. "What is the weather like, my dear Dayelle?" asked Queen Mary, putting her fair fresh face out between the curtains. "Oh! madame----" "What is the matter, Dayelle? You might have the bowmen at your heels----" "Oh! madame--is the King still sleeping?" "Yes." "We are to leave the castle, and Monsieur le Cardinal desired me to tell you so, that you might suggest it to the King." "Do you know why, my good Dayelle?" "The Reformers mean to carry you off." "Oh, this new religion leaves me no peace! I dreamed last night that I was in prison--I who shall wear the united crowns of the three finest kingdoms in the world." "Indeed! but, madame, it was only a dream." "Carried off! That would be rather amusing.--But for the sake of religion, and by heretics--horrible!"