"Sire," said Crevecoeur, "may it please your Majesty, I was provided with a witness on this subject -- one who beheld these fugitive ladies in the inn called the Fleur de Lys, not far from this Castle -- one who saw your Majesty in their company, though under the unworthy disguise of a burgess of Tours -- one who received from them, in your royal presence, messages and letters to their friends in Flanders -- all which he conveyed to the hand and ear of the Duke of Burgundy."
"Bring them forward," said the King; "place the man before my face who dares maintain these palpable falsehoods."
"You speak in triumph, my lord, for you are well aware that this witness no longer exists. When he lived, he was called Zamet Magraubin, by birth one of those Bohemian wanderers. He was yesterday -- as I have learned -- executed by a party of your Majesty's Provost Marshal, to prevent, doubtless, his standing here to verify what he said of this matter to the Duke of Burgundy, in presence of his Council, and of me, Philip Crevecoeur de Cordes."
"Now, by Our Lady of Embrun," said the King, "so gross are these accusations, and so free of consciousness am I of aught that approaches them, that, by the honour of a King, I laugh, rather than am wroth at them. My Provost guard daily put to death, as is their duty, thieves and vagabonds; and is my crown to be slandered with whatever these thieves and vagabonds may have said to our hot cousin of Burgundy and his wise counsellors? I pray you, tell my kind cousin, if he loves such companions, he had best keep them in his own estates; for here they are like to meet short shrift and a tight cord."
"My master needs no such subjects, Sir King," answered the Count, in a tone more disrespectful than he had yet permitted himself to make use of; "for the noble Duke uses not to inquire of witches, wandering Egyptians, or others, upon the destiny and fate of his neighbours and allies."
"We have had patience enough, and to spare," said the King, interrupting him; "and since thy sole errand here seems to be for the purpose of insult, we will send some one in our name to the Duke of Burgundy -- convinced, in thus demeaning thyself towards us, thou hast exceeded thy commission, whatever that may have been."
"On the contrary," said Crevecoeur, "I have not yet acquitted myself of it -- Hearken, Louis of Valois, King of France -- Hearken, nobles and gentlemen, who may be present. -- Hearken, all good and true men. -- And thou, Toison d'Or," addressing the herald, "make proclamation after me. -- I, Philip Crevecoeur of Cordes, Count of the Empire, and Knight of the honourable and princely Order of the Golden Fleece, in the name of the most puissant Lord and Prince, Charles, by the grace of God, Duke of Burgundy and Lotharingia, of Brabant and Limbourg, of Luxembourg and of Gueldres; Earl of Flanders and of Artois; Count Palatine of Hainault, of Holland, Zealand, Namur, and Zutphen; Marquis of the Holy Empire; Lord of Friezeland, Salines, and Malines, do give you, Louis, King of France, openly to know, that you, having refused to remedy the various griefs, wrongs, and offences, done and wrought by you, or by and through your aid, suggestion, and instigation, against the said Duke and his loving subjects, he, by my mouth, renounces all allegiance and fealty towards your crown and dignity -- pronounces you false and faithless; and defies you as a Prince, and as a man. There lies my gage, in evidence of what I have said."
So saying, he plucked the gauntlet off his right hand, and flung it down on the floor of the hall.
Until this last climax of audacity, there had been a deep silence in the royal apartment during the extraordinary scene; but no sooner had the clash of the gauntlet, when cast down, been echoed by the deep voice of Toison d'Or, the Burgundian herald, with the ejaculation, "Vive Bourgogne!" than there was a general tumult. While Dunois, Orleans, old Lord Crawford, and one or two others, whose rank authorized their interference, contended which should lift up the gauntlet, the others in the hall exclaimed, "Strike him down! Cut him to pieces! Comes he here to insult the King of France in his own palace?"
But the King appeased the tumult by exclaiming, in a voice like thunder, which overawed and silenced every other sound, "Silence, my lieges, lay not a hand on the man, not a finger on the gage! -- And you, Sir Count, of what is your life composed, or how is it warranted, that you thus place it on the cast of a die so perilous? or is your Duke made of a different metal from other princes, since he thus asserts his pretended quarrel in a manner so unusual?"
"He is indeed framed of a different and more noble metal than the other princes of Europe," said the undaunted Count of Crevecoeur; "for, when not one of them dared to give shelter to you -- to you, I say, King Louis -- when you were yet only Dauphin, an exile from France, and pursued by the whole bitterness of your father's revenge, and all the power of his kingdom, you were received and protected like a brother by my noble master, whose generosity of disposition you have so grossly misused. Farewell, Sire, my mission is discharged."
So saying, the Count de Crevecoeur left the apartment abruptly, and without farther leave taking.
"After him -- after him -- take up the gauntlet and after him!" said the King. "I mean not you, Dunois, nor you, my Lord of Crawford, who, methinks, may be too old for such hot frays; nor you, cousin of Orleans, who are too young for them. -- My Lord Cardinal -- my Lord Bishop of Auxerre -- it is your holy office to make peace among princes; do you lift the gauntlet, and remonstrate with Count Crevecoeur on the sin he has committed, in thus insulting a great monarch in his own Court, and forcing us to bring the miseries of war upon his kingdom, and that of his neighbour."
Upon this direct personal appeal, the Cardinal Balue proceeded to lift the gauntlet, with such precaution as one would touch an adder -- so great was apparently his aversion to this symbol of war -- and presently left the royal apartment to hasten after the challenger.
Louis paused and looked round the circle of his courtiers, most of whom, except such as we have already distinguished, being men of low birth, and raised to their rank in the King's household for other gifts than courage or feats of arms, looked pale on each other, and had obviously received an unpleasant impression from the scene which had been just acted. Louis gazed on them with contempt, and then said aloud, "Although the Count of Crevecoeur be presumptuous and overweening, it must be confessed that in him the Duke of Burgundy hath as bold a servant as ever bore message for a prince. I would I knew where to find as faithful an Envoy to carry back my answer."
"You do your French nobles injustice, Sire," said Dunois; "not one of them but would carry a defiance to Burgundy on the point of his sword."
"And, Sire," said old Crawford, "you wrong also the Scottish gentlemen who serve you. I, or any of my followers, being of meet rank, would not hesitate a moment to call yonder proud Count to a reckoning; my own arm is yet strong enough for the purpose, if I have but your Majesty's permission."
"But your Majesty," continued Dunois, "will employ us in no service through which we may win honour to ourselves, to your Majesty, or to France."
"Say rather," said the King, "that I will not give way, Dunois, to the headlong impetuosity, which, on some punctilio of chivalry, would wreck yourselves, the throne, France, and all. There is not one of you who knows not how precious every hour of peace is at this moment, when so necessary to heal the wounds of a distracted country; yet there is not one of you who would not rush into war on account of the tale of a wandering gipsy, or of some errant damosel, whose reputation, perhaps, is scarce higher. -- Here comes the Cardinal, and we trust with more pacific tidings. -- How now, my Lord, -- have you brought the Count to reason and to temper?"
"Sire," said Balue, "my task hath been difficult. I put it to yonder proud Count, how he dared to use towards your Majesty the presumptuous reproach with which his audience had broken up, and which must be understood as proceeding, not from his master, but from his own insolence, and as placing him therefore in your Majesty's discretion for what penalty you might think proper."
"You said right," replied the King; "and what was his answer?"
"The Count," continued the Cardinal, "had at that moment his foot in the stirrup, ready to mount; and, on hearing my expostulation, he turned his head without altering his position. 'Had I,' said he, 'been fifty leagues distant, and had heard by report that a question vituperative of my Prince had been asked by the King of France, I had, even at that distance, instantly mounted, and returned to disburden my mind of the answer which I gave him but now.'"
"I said, sirs," said the King, turning around, without any show of angry emotion, "that in the Count Philip of Crevecoeur, our cousin the Duke possesses as worthy a servant as ever rode at a prince's right hand. -- But you prevailed with him to stay?"
"To stay for twenty-four hours; and in the meanwhile to receive again his gage of defiance," said the Cardinal; "he has dismounted at the Fleur de Lys."
"See that he be nobly attended and cared for, at our charges," said the King; "such a servant is a jewel in a prince's crown. Twenty-four hours?" he added, muttering to himself, and looking as if he were stretching his eyes to see into futurity; "twenty-four hours? It is of the shortest. Yet twenty-four hours, ably and skilfully employed, may be worth a year in the hand of indolent or incapable agents. -- Well -- to the forest -- to the forest, my gallant lords! -- Orleans, my fair kinsman, lay aside that modesty, though it becomes you; mind not my Joan's coyness. The Loire may as soon avoid mingling with the Cher, as she from favouring your suit, or you from preferring it," he added, as the unhappy prince moved slowly on after his betrothed bride. "And now for your boar spears, gentlemen -- for Allegre, my pricker, hath harboured one that will try both dog and man. -- Dunois, lend me your spear -- take mine, it is too weighty for me; but when did you complain of such a fault in your lance? -- To horse -- to horse, gentlemen."
And all the chase rode on.
愿你在法国人眼中快如闪电，
因为，当你还来不及宣告我的到来，
我大炮的轰鸣将已被人听见——
去吧，愿你充当我们愤怒的号角。
《约翰王》
即使懒惰是达威特很易犯的过错，那么在第一次晨钟敲过之后，卫队营房的喧闹声也肯定会驱走睡梦的妖魔。然而，在老家的塔楼里受过的父亲的管教和阿伯布罗迪克修道院里的纪律训练已使他习惯于清晨早起。他愉快地穿上衣服；周围是一片号角声和兵器的碰撞声，说明警卫战士正在换岗——有的站完夜岗后正在返回营地，有的正列队前去站早岗——而另一些人，包括他舅父，则正在整理军容以便直接为路易王担任警卫。昆丁•达威特怀着年轻人在这种场合都会产生的一种心情，穿戴上适合他新的身份的华贵的衣服和装备。他舅父十分严格而关切地打量着他，力求他的穿戴各方面都完美无缺。看到他外甥的仪表焕然一新，他掩饰不住满意的表情。“要是你既漂亮，又勇敢忠诚，那么我将会看到你成为卫队最英俊最优秀的扈从之一，而这不能不说是在为你母亲的家族增光。跟我到觐见厅去吧。要注意紧靠在我的身边。”
接着他拿起一把装饰得很美丽的沉重大戟，并吩咐他外甥也拿一把较轻的，然后和他一道走进宫殿的内院。有几个将去担任内室警卫的卫士已全副武装地排在那里——屈从都站在主人的后面，组成第二个行列。侍候国王的还有牵着骏马和名狗的若干名助猎兵。昆丁愉快而好奇地望着他们。他舅舅不得不一再提醒他，这些动物不是供他消遣的，而是供国王消遣的。国王非常爱好打猎，即使在冥思苦想策谋划略的时候，这也是他从不放弃的少数爱好之一。他如此严格地保护皇家森林中的猎物，以致流行一种说法，即杀死一头公鹿要比杀死一个人受的惩罚更重。
作为值勤官的勒•巴拉弗雷一声令下，卫队便立即行动起来。从交代了的繁琐的信号和口令中，足见其执行职责的高度准确性和警觉性。他们列队进入觐见厅，在那儿人们正恭候国王随时驾到。
尽管昆丁对富丽堂皇的场面很陌生，但他眼见的一切却远远赶不上他原来的想象，使他颇为失望。不错，在场的有装束华丽的王室官员，有雄赳赳的武装卫士，有各级仆役。然而他没看见提供国事咨询的老人和高级皇家官员，没听见任何曾使得当代骑士闻之胆寒的英雄们的名字，也没看见任何年富力强，不愧为法国中坚人物的将军和领袖，以及追求荣誉，不愧为法国之骄傲的年轻而热情的贵族。国王猜忌的秉性，含蓄的态度以及深沉而狡黠的谋略使得这一优秀的阶层与王室关系疏远。他们只是在某些指定的正式场合才被国王召见。他们去时很勉强，回来时却很高兴，和寓言里的动物走进虎穴和离开虎穴时的心情十分相似。
呆在那里像是作咨询的少数几个人也都相貌平平。他们脸上偶尔也带有某种聪明的表情，但其仪态却表明他们是走进了一个与他们过去受的教养很不相称的社会圈子。其中有一两个在达威特看来倒是仪表堂堂，而眼前的守卫也没有严格到妨碍他舅父把他认为突出的几位人物的大名一一告诉他。
对于穿着华丽的制服，手持银杖，也在场的克劳福德大公，昆丁也和读者一样已很熟悉。在另一些看来很有身份的人物当中最突出的是杜诺瓦伯爵。他是人们称之为“私生的奥尔良”的名将杜诺瓦的儿子。杜诺瓦曾在圣女贞德麾下作战，在使法国摆脱英国奴役的过程中起过杰出的作用。他的儿子没有辜负如此高贵的父辈留给他的英名。虽然杜诺瓦和王室有亲缘关系，在贵族和平民中都享有世袭的声誉，但他在各种场合都表现出一种坦率而忠诚的性格，因而任何人甚至连猜忌心很强的路易，都不会对他有所顾忌。路易很喜欢让他接近自己，有时也把他叫来当当参谋。虽然在骑士操行的各个方面他都算得上完美无缺，并具有当时人们称为模范骑士的许多品德，但这伯爵的面貌却远不是什么浪漫的美男子典型。虽然体格健壮，但他个子比一般人还矮，两腿有些向外弯曲，这对骑马来说更为方便，可走起路来却不那么美观。他有着宽肩、黑发、黝黑的脸色、修长而爱摆动的双臂，五官很不端正，近乎丑陋。然而，不管怎么说，杜诺瓦伯爵却具有一种意识到自己价值的高贵气派，使人一眼就看出他那种贵族后裔和英勇武士的品质。他的表情大胆而刚直，步履矫健而自然，鹰一般的目光和狮子般的皱纹使得他严峻的面孔更显威严。他穿着一套打猎服，华美而不俗丽。在大多数场合下他都扮演狩猎大臣的角色，不过我们并不相信这是他真正的职务。
倚着亲属杜诺瓦的胳膊站着的是被封为奥尔良公爵的路易。他是皇族第一亲王（以后成为法王路易十二）。警卫和侍从都向他行礼致敬。他迈着如此缓慢而沉郁的步子，以致他像是靠在扶着他的那位亲属身上。在国王别无后嗣的情况下亲王就将继承王位，所以他一直受到路易王小心翼翼的守护。路易不许他离开宫廷一步。他成天幽居深宫，既不让他有所作为，也不给他任何鼓励。这卑贱而近乎囚徒的处境自然使这位不幸的亲王举止之间流露出沮丧的表情。由于他意识到国王正在考虑对他采取一个暴君可能采取的最残忍最不公正的行动，他这种沮丧的表情此刻更是表露无遗。所说的这个行动指的是胁迫他娶路易的小女儿，法国的让娜公主为妻。固然在孩提时他已和她订了婚约，但公主的畸形外表却使得坚持这一婚约成为一种可憎的强制行径。
这位不幸的亲王外貌并不出众，但内心却温顺而善良。这些素质是透过那掩盖着他天性的异常沮丧的外表中看出的。昆丁注意到这位公爵有意不向国王的卫队张望一眼，并且在他还礼时也两眼朝下，仿佛他害怕国王的猜忌会把一个平常的还礼姿态曲解成有意在卫队中树立个人威望。
高傲的红衣主教高级教士巴卢•约翰却表现得大不相同。他当时是路易王的宠臣。如果说奸诈多谋的法王路易和卤莽急躁的英王亨利第八之间的差异容许我们作一个比较的话，那么此人发迹的历史及其性格的确和沃尔塞的历史非常相似。路易王把这位宠臣从一个卑贱的人提升到法国赈济大臣的显赫地位（至少让他享有其俸禄），还给了他许许多多优厚待遇，甚至给他戴上了红衣主教的冠冕。虽然他十分审慎，并不像亨利第八对待沃尔塞那样，把无限的权力和信任给予这个野心勃勃的巴卢，但此人却比别的自封的谋臣对他具有更大的影响力。因此这位红衣主教未能避免卑贱者突然升为权贵时很容易犯的一个错误。他无疑被突然的飞黄腾达冲昏了头脑，竟自信有资格干预一切事务，甚至与自己职业和学识毫不相干的事务。他个子高高，样子笨拙，却喜欢对女性表示爱慕，并大献殷勤，尽管他的态度使得他的借口显得荒谬，而他的职业也让这些借口显得不成体统。有几个讨好他的男人或女人曾不幸使他鬼迷心窍地自以为继承了他父亲（原在里莫日赶马车，或另据别的一种说法，曾在凡尔登开磨坊）一双轮廓优美的大腿。这念头搞得他神魂颠倒，以致他总是要把红衣主教的僧袍稍稍拉向一边，好让人看见他那双粗壮的大腿。当他穿着红衣和华丽的罩袍神气地走过大厅的时候，他一再停下来欣赏站岗的骑士们的武器和装备，以权威的口吻问他们几个问题，并擅自以所谓的不合年纪为理由责备几个卫士。这些有经验的武士固然不敢口头回答他的指责，但他们显然对他很鄙视，很不耐烦。
“国王清不清楚，”杜诺瓦对红衣主教说道，“勃艮第的特使要求他无条件接见？”
“他已经知道了，”红衣主教回答说，“我想万能的奥利弗•丹进来就是要告诉我们国王的意向。”
他正说着的时候，一位与红衣主教分享路易王恩宠的大人物从内室走了出来，但他没有那位教会人士借以显示威风和尊严的要人气派。相反，他是个苍白瘦弱的小个子，在黑绸紧身衣裤外面没穿外套、披风和罩袍。普通的衣着自然很难改善他那平庸的外表。他手上拿着一个银盆，胳膊上挂着一条理发的围巾，表明他是个卑微的剃头匠。他的面孔具有锐利和善变的表情，但他总是眼睛盯在地上，竭力想把它从脸上抹掉，不让人看见。他的步子像猫的一样悄然无声，因此他像是谦卑地溜过大厅而不是走过大厅。然而，尽管谦卑容易使人忽视一个人的价值，却不能掩盖一个人在宫廷所受的恩宠。奥利弗•丹有时也被人叫做坏蛋奥利弗，或魔鬼奥利弗。这些都是由于他帮助国王执行其鬼蜮伎俩所表现出的奸诈而赢得的绰号。既然他是国王闻名的理发师和仆役，并已成为国王的亲信，他想悄悄溜过觐见厅的尝试自然是徒劳的。他和杜诺瓦伯爵严肃地谈了片刻。只见那位伯爵顿时离开了大厅，而这位剃头匠则朝他刚走出来的国王起居室溜了回去。在场的都赶忙给他让路。他只是以谦恭的鞠躬作为还礼。惟一的例外是他对一两个人耳语了一句，从而使得他们成为其他朝臣们的羡慕对象；但他一边嘀咕着说，他职责在身，有事要办，以避开他们的答话，以及想引他的注意、急切向他求情的企图。卢德维克•莱斯利也是有幸听到奥利弗对自己耳语的人之一。这句耳语是叫他放心；他的事情已幸运地得到解决。
不久又再次证实了这个好消息。昆丁的老相识，皇家军法总监特里斯顿•勒尔米特走进大厅后径直来到勒巴拉弗雷所站的地方。这位可畏的军官的华丽制服只是使得他那阴森的脸色和凶恶的面部表情显得更为突出。他那本想表示和解的声调也颇像熊的嗥叫。不过他讲话的内容倒要比他说话的声音友好一些。他对他们之间前一天发生的误会表示遗憾。他说这是因为勒巴拉弗雷先生的外甥没有穿卫队的制服，也没有说明他已参加卫队，从而使他犯了这个错误，为此他请求原谅。
卢德维克•莱斯利作了一个必不可少的回答。一当特里斯顿转身走掉，他便对外甥说，他们很荣幸，从此有了这样一个可畏的军官作他们的死对头。“不过他的打击够不着我们，”他说道，“一个，洛尽职守的士兵尽可以嘲笑军法总监。”
昆丁也禁不住抱有和他舅父同样的看法，因为当特里斯顿离开他们的时候，此人的眼睛里放射出仿佛是被长矛戳伤的熊投射在猎人身上那种愤怒而凶恶的目光。要知道，即使在不那么激动的情况下，这位军官阴沉的眼神也表现出一种恶意，足以使人接触他的目光时害怕得发抖。年轻的苏格兰人这时产生的毛骨悚然的感觉就更强烈更可怕，因为他似乎仍然感到这位和他有仇的军官的两名绞刑吏还在牢牢地抓着他的肩膀。
奥利弗像我们刚才描绘过的那样鬼鬼祟祟地在房里转了一圈——在场的人，即使地位最高的大臣，都纷纷为他让道，以表示无限的敬意，而他却谦逊地竭力躲开这些亲昵的表示——然后又走回内室。隔不多久内室的门便豁然敞开，觐见厅里的人们看见路易工走了进来。
昆丁也像别人那样把眼睛转过去望着他。他猛然一惊，差点把长戟掉在地上。他一眼就认出，原来法国国王就是昨天早上和他在一起的那位丝绸商皮埃尔老爷。对于这人的真正身份他脑子里不止一次产生过奇怪的猜疑，然而已见分晓的真实情况却比他最离奇的猜测更为离奇。
