Page:Ten Years Later.djvu/241

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
TEN YEARS LATER
229

He came very affectionately to inquire after the even now uncertain health of the queen-mother, and to announce to her that the preparations for the journey to Fontainebleau were complete. Seeing her laugh, his uneasiness on her account diminished, and he addressed her in a laughing tone himself. Anne of Austria took him by the hand, and, in a voice full of playfulness, said, "Do you know, sire, that I am proud of being a Spanish woman?"

"Why, madame?"

"Because Spanish women are worth more than English women, at least."

"Explain yourself."

"Since your marriage ypu have not, I believe, had a single reproach to make against the queen."

"Certainly not."

"And you, too, have been married some time. Your brother, on the contrary, has been married only a fortnight."

"Well!"

"He is now finding fault with madame a second time."

"What, Buckingham still?"

"No, another."

"Who?"

"De Guiche."

"Really, madame is a coquette, then."

"I fear so."

"My poor brother," said the king, laughing.

"You don't mind coquetting, it seems?"

"In madame, certainly I do; but madame is not a coquette at heart."

"That may be, but your brother is excessively angry about it."

"What does he want?"

"He wishes to drown De Guiche."

"That is a violent measure to resort to."

"Do not laugh; he is extremely irritated. Think of what can be done."

"To save De Guiche — certainly."

"Oh, if your brother heard you, he would conspire against you as your uncle Monsieur did against your father."

"No; Philip has too much affection for me for that, and I, on my side, have too great a regard for him; we shall live together on very good terms. But what is the substance of his request?"

"That you will prevent madame from being a coquette, and De Guiche from being amiable."