The other's eyes gleamed with passion. He leaned forward.

"What has she to do with it?" he cried. And he stood up and sat down
again in a breath.

Tavannes raised his eyebrows with a blandness that seemed at odds with
his harsh visage.

"I will answer that question by another question," he replied. "How many
are there in the house, my friend?"

"You can count."

Tavannes counted again. "Seven?" he said. Tignonville nodded
impatiently.

"Seven lives?"

"Well?"

"Well, Monsieur, you know the King's will?"

"I can guess it," the other replied furiously. And he cursed the King,
and the King's mother, calling her Jezebel.

"You can guess it?" Tavannes answered; and then with sudden heat, as if
that which he had to say could not be said even by him in cold blood,
"Nay, you know it! You heard it from the archer at the door. You heard
him say, 'No favour, no quarter for man, for woman, or for child. So