"The ladies like it! What is to be said?" cried Brantôme, going forward to bow to Madame de Guise, who had in her hand Boccaccio's _Famous Ladies_. "There must be some ladies of your House there, madame," said he. "But Master Boccaccio's mistake was that he did not live in these days; he would have found ample matter to enlarge his volumes."
"How clever Monsieur de Brantôme is!" said the beautiful Mademoiselle de Limeuil to the Countess Fieschi. "He came first to us, but he will stay with the Guises."
"Hush!" said Madame Fieschi, looking at the fair Limeuil. "Attend to what concerns you----"
The young lady turned to the door. She was expecting Sardini, an Italian nobleman, whom, subsequently, she made marry her after a little accident that overtook her in the Queen's dressing-room, and which procured her the honor of having a queen for her midwife.
"By Saint Alipantin, Mademoiselle Davila seems to grow prettier every morning," said Monsieur de Robertet, Secretary of State, as he bowed to the Queen-mother's ladies.
The advent of the Secretary of State, though he was exactly as important as a Cabinet Minister in these days, made no sensation whatever.
"If you think that, monsieur, do lend me the epigram against Messieurs de Guise; I know you have it," said Mademoiselle Davila to Robertet.
"I have it no longer," replied the Secretary, going across to speak to Madame de Guise.
"I have it," said the Comte de Grammont to Mademoiselle Davila; "but I will lend it you on only one condition."
"On condition----? For shame!" said Madame Fieschi.
"You do not know what I want," replied Grammont.
"Oh, that is easy to guess," said la Limeuil.
The Italian custom of calling ladies, as French peasants call their wives, la Such-an-one, was at that time the fashion at the Court of France.
"You are mistaken," the Count replied eagerly; "what I ask is, that a letter should be delivered to Mademoiselle de Matha, one of the maids on the other side--a letter from my cousin de Jarnac."
"Do not compromise my maids; I will give it her myself," said the Countess Fieschi. "Have you heard any news of what is going on in Flanders?" she asked Cardinal de Tournon. "Monsieur d'Egmont is at some new pranks, it would seem."