he was my rival - had gone yet further to mould the peacock
attributes of his vain soul. So that this wondrous humble tone of
his gave me pause; for to me it seemed that not even a courtship
gone awry could account for it in such a man.

"I had not thought to find so many here," said he. And his next
words contained the cause of his dejected air. "The King, Monsieur
de Bardelys, has refused to see me; and when the sun is gone, we
lesser bodies of the courtly firmament must needs turn for light
and comfort to the moon." And he made me a sweeping bow.

"Meaning that I rule the night?" quoth I, and laughed. "The figure
is more playful than exact, for whilst the moon is cold and
cheerless, me you shall find ever warm and cordial. I could have
wished, Monsieur de Chatellerault, that your gracing my board were
due to a circumstance less untoward than His Majesty's displeasure."

"It is not for nothing that they call you the Magnificent," he
answered, with a fresh bow, insensible to the sting in the tail
of my honeyed words.

I laughed, and, setting compliments to rest with that, I led him
to the table.

"Ganymede, a place here for Monsieur le Comte. Gilles, Antoine,
see to Monsieur de Chatellerault. Basile, wine for Monsieur le
Comte. Bestir there!"

In a moment he was become the centre of a very turmoil of attention.
My lacqueys flitted about him buzzing and insistent as bees about