The King's Esquires Part 48

"Yes, Sire; from your wound."

"Hah!" cried the King. "But what is that to do with young Denis? Was he cut down too?"

"No, Sire; quite uninjured when we saw him last."

"When you saw him last? Then where is he now?"

"A prisoner at the castle, Sire. The brave lad volunteered to take your place while we endeavoured to save our King."

"To take my place! Do you mean to say, then, that he personated me?"

"Yes, Sire; to lie as if wounded on your bed."

"He did that?" cried the King; and Leoni slowly bent his head.

"Then he has the making of a king within his breast. Brave boy!" cried Francis; and he was silent for a few moments, while bending over the side of the boat he scooped up the clear cold water in his hand and drank again and again.

"Hah!" he cried. "That gives me power to think. Did I understand you aright that I am escaping and have left that boy to bear the brunt of my folly, to suffer for my madness imprisonment and maybe death?"

The doctor bent his head.

"Leoni," cried the King pa.s.sionately, "is this acting like a king?"

"Sire, it is not for you to ask, nor yet for you to judge of this. Your brave young esquire felt it to be his task, and he volunteered to play his part, as either of us would have done. It was to save your life, your servant's duty at a time like that."

"And you tell me that it is my duty as a king to sacrifice that boy just entering the dawn of his young manhood so that I might live?"

"Yes, Sire; for your subjects' sake."

"I am the King, and judge of this. A thousand times no! It shall not be."

"Sire, it must. What is one young life compared with yours?"

"Everything," cried the King, "if I am to live in peace."

"But, your Majesty, it is too late to think of that."

"Never too late while there is life," cried the King. "Loose the boat and take those oars."

"What would your Majesty do?" cried Leoni.

"Go back to Henry and meet him face to face. Let him work his will on me if he dares. But he shall not injure a hair of that brave boy's head. Bah! He would not have dared."

"You are mistaken, Sire."

"In what?"

"In King Henry's intentions. He meant your death."

"What! In cold blood to slay a brother king?"

"Not a brother king, Sire, but the Comte de la Seine, who had entered his Court in disguise."

"Impossible, Leoni! I repeat, he would not dare."

"Sire, your death warrant was made out."

"What!"

"I saw it, Sire, in Lord Hurst's hands; and he told me indirectly what was to take place."

"Leoni!" cried the King.

"Those are the simple words of truth, Sire. That death warrant, signed by the King's own hand, was the mainspring of my action. Was I not justified in doing anything to save your life?"

The King was silent.

"Leoni!" he exclaimed at length. "I am faint with hunger. Is there no place near where we can get food?"

"There is a farm we pa.s.sed a little lower down, Sire," replied Leoni; "but we dared not stay for fear the pursuers might be searching either bank."

"Let them search and find if they will," cried the King. "I must have refreshment before I do more."

"Your Majesty wishes us to row there and take our chance of being discovered?"

"Yes," said the King, "and at once. But stay. You are certain that the Count's death warrant was signed?"

"Yes, Sire; sure."

"Bah! If I declared myself there would be an end to that?"

"No, Sire."

"What!" cried the King.

"Henry doubtless has his ends and would gladly have you dead. If you declared yourself now he would laugh you to scorn and call you impostor, cheat."

"Hah!" cried the King, grinding his teeth. "Let him if he dare! But I will not believe it of him, going as I shall now, for nothing shall stay me from hurrying back to save that poor lad's life."

"But, your Majesty, let me implore you!" cried Leoni.

"Implore, then, but you will find me deaf."

"For your own sake, Sire!"

"It is for my sake I go--mine honour as a king."

"For the sake of your servants, then, who have risked so much!"