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Saint…Vallier；〃 said the king； looking fixedly at the count； 〃I know
about you。 All your blood could not pay for one drop of mine； do you
hear me？ By our Lady of Clery！ you have committed crimes of lese…
majesty。 Did I give you such a pretty wife to make her pale and
weakly？ Go back to your own house； and make your preparations for a
long journey。〃
The king stopped at these words from a habit of cruelty； then he
added：
〃You will leave to…night to attend to my affairs with the government
of Venice。 You need be under no anxiety about your wife； I shall take
charge of her at Plessis； she will certainly be safe here。 Henceforth
I shall watch over her with greater care than I have done since I
married her to you。〃
Hearing these words； Marie silently pressed her father's arm as if to
thank him for his mercy and goodness。 As for Louis XI。； he was
laughing to himself in his sleeve。
CHAPTER IV
THE HIDDEN TREASURE
Louis XI。 was fond of intervening in the affairs of his subjects； and
he was always ready to mingle his royal majesty with the burgher life。
This taste； severely blamed by some historians； was really only a
passion for the 〃incognito；〃 one of the greatest pleasures of princes；
a sort of momentary abdication； which enables them to put a little
real life into their existence； made insipid by the lack of
opposition。 Louis XI。； however； played the incognito openly。 On these
occasions he was always the good fellow； endeavoring to please the
people of the middle classes； whom he made his allies against
feudality。 For some time past he had found no opportunity to 〃make
himself populace〃 and espouse the domestic interests of some man
〃engarrie〃 （an old word still used in Tours； meaning engaged） in
litigious affairs； so that he shouldered the anxieties of Maitre
Cornelius eagerly； and also the secret sorrows of the Comtesse de
Saint…Vallier。 Several times during dinner he said to his daughter：
〃Who； think you； could have robbed my silversmith？ The robberies now
amount to over twelve hundred thousand crowns in eight years。 Twelve
hundred thousand crowns； messieurs！〃 he continued； looking at the
seigneurs who were serving him。 〃Notre Dame！ with a sum like that what
absolutions could be bought in Rome！ And I might； Pasques…Dieu！ bank
the Loire； or； better still； conquer Piedmont； a fine fortification
ready…made for this kingdom。〃
When dinner was over； Louis XI。 took his daughter； his doctor； and the
grand provost； with an escort of soldiers； and rode to the hotel de
Poitiers in Tours； where he found； as he expected； the Comte de Saint…
Vallier awaiting his wife； perhaps to make away with her life。
〃Monsieur；〃 said the king； 〃I told you to start at once。 Say farewell
to your wife now； and go to the frontier； you will be accompanied by
an escort of honor。 As for your instructions and credentials； they
will be in Venice before you get there。〃
Louis then gave the ordernot without adding certain secret
instructionsto a lieutenant of the Scottish guard to take a squad of
men and accompany the ambassador to Venice。 Saint…Vallier departed in
haste； after giving his wife a cold kiss which he would fain have made
deadly。 Louis XI。 then crossed over to the Malemaison； eager to begin
the unravelling of the melancholy comedy； lasting now for eight years；
in the house of his silversmith； flattering himself that； in his
quality of king； he had enough penetration to discover the secret of
the robberies。 Cornelius did not see the arrival of the escort of his
royal master without uneasiness。
〃Are all those persons to take part in the inquiry？〃 he said to the
king。
Louis XI。 could not help smiling as he saw the fright of the miser and
his sister。
〃No； my old crony；〃 he said； 〃don't worry yourself。 They will sup at
Plessis； and you and I alone will make the investigation。 I am so good
in detecting criminals； that I will wager you ten thousand crowns I
shall do so now。〃
〃Find him； sire； and make no wager。〃
They went at once into the strong room； where the Fleming kept his
treasure。 There Louis； who asked to see； in the first place； the
casket from which the jewels of the Duke of Burgundy had been taken；
then the chimney down which the robber was supposed to have descended；
easily convinced his silversmith of the falsity of the latter
supposition； inasmuch as there was no soot on the hearth；where； in
truth； a fire was seldom made；and no sign that any one had passed
down the flue； and moreover that the chimney issued at a part of the
roof which was almost inaccessible。 At last； after two hours of close
investigation； marked with that sagacity which distinguished the
suspicious mind of Louis XI。； it was clear to him； beyond all doubt；
that no one had forced an entrance into the strong…room of his
silversmith。 No marks of violence were on the locks； nor on the iron
coffers which contained the gold； silver； and jewels deposited as
securities by wealthy debtors。
〃If the robber opened this box；〃 said the king； why did he take
nothing out of it but the jewels of the Duke of Bavaria？ What reason
had he for leaving that pearl necklace which lay beside them？ A queer
robber！〃
At that remark the unhappy miser turned pale： he and the king looked
at each other for a moment。
〃Then； sire； what did that robber whom you have taken under your
protection come to do here； and why did he prowl about at night？〃
〃If you have not guessed why； my crony； I order you to remain in
ignorance。 That is one of my secrets。〃
〃Then the devil is in my house！〃 cried the miser； piteously。
In any other circumstances the king would have laughed at his
silversmith's cry； but he had suddenly become thoughtful； and was
casting on the Fleming those glances peculiar to men of talent and
power which seem to penetrate the brain。 Cornelius was frightened；
thinking he had in some way offended his dangerous master。
〃Devil or angel； I have him； the guilty man！〃 cried Louis XI。
abruptly。 〃If you are robbed again to…night； I shall know to…morrow
who did it。 Make that old hag you call your sister come here；〃 he
added。
Cornelius almost hesitated to leave the king alone in the room with
his hoards； but the bitter smile on Louis's withered lips determined
him。 Nevertheless he hurried back； followed by the old woman。
〃Have you any flour？〃 demanded the king。
〃Oh yes； we have laid in our stock for the winter；〃 she answered。
〃Well； go and fetch some；〃 said the king。
〃What do you want to do with our flour； sire？〃 she cried； not the
least impressed by his royal majesty。
〃Old fool！〃 said Cornelius； 〃go and execute the orders of our gracious
master。 Shall the king lack flour？〃
〃Our good flour！〃 she grumbled； as she went downstairs。 〃Ah！ my
flour！〃
Then she returned； and said to the king：
〃Sire； is it only a royal notion to examine my flour？〃
At last she reappeared； bearing one of those stout linen bags which；
from time immemorial； have been used in Touraine to carry or bring； to
and from market； nuts； fruits； or wheat。 The bag was half full of
flour。 The housekeeper opened it and showed it to the king； on whom
she cast the rapid； savage look with which old maids appear to squirt
venom upon men。
〃It costs six sous the 'septeree；'〃 she said。
〃What does that matter？〃 said the king。 〃Spread it on the floor； but
be careful to make an even layer of itas if it had fallen like
snow。〃
The old maid did not comprehend。 This proposal astonished her as
though the end of the world had come。
〃My flour； sire！ on the ground！ But〃
Maitre Cornelius； who was beginning to understand； though vaguely； the
intentions of the king； seized the bag and gently poured its contents
on the floor。 The old woman quivered； but she held out her hand for
the empty bag； and when her brother gave it back to her she
disappeared with a heavy sigh。
Cornelius then took a feather broom and gently smoothed the flour till
it looked like a fall of snow； retreating step by step as he did so；
followed by the king； who seemed much amused by the operation。 When
they reached the door Louis XI。 said to his silversmith； 〃Are there
two keys to the lock？〃
〃No； sire。〃
The king then examined the structure of the door； which was braced
with large plates and bars of iron； all of which converged to a secret
lock； the key of which was kept by Cornelius。
After examining everything； the king sent for Tristan； and ordered him
to post several of his men for the night； and with the greatest
secrecy； in the mulberry trees on the embankment and on the roofs of
the adjoining houses； and to assemble at once the rest of his men and
escort him back to Plessis； so as to give the idea in the town that he
himself would not sup with Cornelius。 Next； he told the miser to close
his windows with the utmost