Historical Miniatures Part 42

Is it poison or medicine? Oil of vitriol is poison, salts of ammonia are only for dysentery, saltpetre produces scurvy. For whom have you made this mixture?"

"It is for the gardener's cow, which has calved," answered the Doctor, who certainly did not wish to prolong the tyrant's life.

The King laid down on a sofa. "Jacob," he said, "you must not go away; I will not eat, but I will sleep, and you must sit here by me. I have had to sleep for eight nights. But put out the fire; it hurts my eyes. Don't let down the blinds; I want to see the sun; otherwise I cannot sleep."

He seemed to fall asleep, but it was only a momentary nap. Then he grew wide awake again, and sat up in bed.

"Why do you keep starlings in your garden, Jacob?"

"I have no starlings," answered the Doctor impatiently, "but if you have heard them whistling, sire, they must be there with your permission."

"Don't you hear them, then?"

"No! but what are they singing?"

"Yes, you know! After the shameful treaty of Peronne, when I had to yield to Charles of Burgundy, the Parisians taught their starlings to cry 'Peronne!' Do you know what they are saying now?"

The Doctor lost patience, for he had heard these old stories thousands of times: "They are not saying 'Guienne,' are they?" he asked.

There was an ugly reference to fratricide in the question, for the King was suspected of having murdered his brother, the Duke of Guienne. He started from the sofa in a pugnacious att.i.tude. "What! You believe in this fable? But I have never committed murder, though I would certainly like to murder you...."

"Better leave it alone!" answered the Doctor cynically; "you know what the starshave said--eight days after my death, follows yours."

The King had an attack of cramp, for he believed this fable, which Coctier had invented to protect his own life. But when he recovered consciousness, he continued to wander in his talk.

"They also say that I murdered my father, but that is a lie. He starved himself to death for fear of being poisoned."

"Of being poisoned by you! You are a fine fellow! But your hour will soon come."

"Hush!... I remember every thing now. My father was a noodle who let France be overrun by the English, and when the Maid of Orleans saved him, gave her up to the English. I hate my father who was false to my mother with Agnes Sorel, and had his legitimate children brought up by his paramour. When he left the kingdom to itself, I and the n.o.bles took it in hand. That you call 'revolt,' but I have never stirred up a revolt! That is a lie."

"Listen!" the Doctor broke in; "if you wish to confess, send for your father confessor."

"I am not confessing to you; I am defending myself."

"Who is accusing you, then? Your own bad conscience."

"I have no bad conscience, but I am accused unjustly."

"Who is accusing you? The starling?"

"My wife and children accuse me, and don't wish to see me."

"No; if you have sent them to Amboise, they cannot see you, and, as a matter of fact, they do not wish to."

"To think that I, the son of King Charles VII, must hear this sort of thing from a quack doctor! I have always liked people of low rank; Olivier the barber was my friend."

"And the executioner Tristan was your G.o.dfather."

"He was provost-marshal, you dog!"

"The tailor became a herald."

"And the quack doctor a chancellor! Put that to my account and praise me, ingrate! for having protected you from the n.o.bles, and for only having regard to merit."

"That is certainly a redeeming feature."

Just then a man appeared in the doorway with his cap in his hand.

"Who is there?" cried the King. "Is it a murderer?"

"No, it is only the gardener," the man answered.

"Ha! ha! gardener!--your cow has calved, hasn't she?"

"I possess no cow, sire, nor have I ever had one."

The King was beside himself, and flew at Coctier's throat.

"You have lied to me, scoundrel; it is not medicine you were preparing, but poison."

The gardener disappeared. "If I wished to do what I should," said Coctier, "I would treat you like Charles the Bold did when you cheated him."

"What did he do? What do people say that he did?"

"People say that he beat you with a stick."

The King was ashamed, went to bed again, and hid his face in the pillow. The Doctor considered this a favourable moment for preferring a long-denied request.

"Will you now liberate the Milanese?" he asked.

"No."

"But he cannot sit any more in his iron cage!"

"Then let him stand!"

"Don't you know that when one has to die, one good deed atones for a thousand crimes?"

"I will not die!"

"Yes, sire, you will die soon."

"After you!"

"No, before me."

"That is also a lie of yours."