"How!" exclaimed the King, "here are the first and most loyal men in my kingdom. Monsieur de Chavigni, this is going too far!"
"Their names, my Liege," answered Chavigni, "are affixed to the treasonable treaty in my hand."
"It cannot be!" cried Louis, an expression of painful apprehension coming over his countenance: "It cannot be! My faithful, loyal Cinq Mars is no traitor. I will never believe it!" And he threw himself into a seat, and covered his eyes with his hands.
Chavigni opened the treaty calmly, and briefly recapitulated the principal articles. "The first item is, my Liege," he proceeded, "that Spain shall instantly furnish ten thousand men to enter France by the way of Flanders; and for a security to his Catholic Majesty, a second item provides, that the Duke of Bouillon shall place in his hands, for the time being, the Principality of Sedan. A third goes on to arrange, that five principal fortified towns of France shall be given into the hands of Spain; and the whole concludes, with a solemn alliance, offensive and defensive, between the conspirators and the Spanish King.--And to this treaty," added he, in a firm, deep tone of voice, "stand the names of Cinq Mars and Fontrailles."
"Cinq Mars has been deceived, misled, abused!" cried the King, with a degree of agitation almost amounting to agony.
"That will appear upon his trial, my Liege," rejoined Chavigni; and then wishing rather to soften the hard task he called upon Louis to perform, he added, in a gentler manner, "Your Majesty was born under the sign _Libra_, and have always merited the name of Just. If any thing in extenuation of his fault appear in the case of Monsieur le Grand Ecuyer, that can be taken into your merciful consideration after his arrest; but having calmly given an order for the imprisonment of your own Royal brother, your Majesty cannot--will not, show the manifest partiality of letting a person equally culpable escape. May I once more request your Majesty to sign the warrant?"
"Well, well!" cried Louis, snatching up the pen. "But remember, Cinq Mars must be pardoned. He has been deceived by that treacherous Duke of Bouillon and that oily Fontrailles. Oh, he is all honour and loyalty; have I not experienced a thousand instances of his affection?--It is false! it is false!" And he dashed down the pen without using it.