'Never was one so coy or so hard to clip! And, besides, has not the Pope divorced us ?' 'The Pope! A fig for the Pope!' Du Mornay rejoined with impatient heat.
'What has he to do with France?
An impertinent meddler, and an Italian to boot! I would he and all the brood of them were sunk a hundred fathoms deep in the sea.

But, meantime, I would send him a text to digest.' 'EXEMPLUM ?' said the king.
'Whom God has joined together let no man put asunder.' 'Amen! quoth Henry softly.

'And France is a fair and comely bride.' After that he kept such a silence, falling as it seemed to me into a brown study, that he went away without so much as bidding me farewell, or being conscious, as far as I could tell, of my presence.

Du Mornay exchanged a few words with me, to assure himself that I understood what I had to do, and then, with many kind expressions, which I did not fail to treasure up and con over in the times that were coming, hastened downstairs after his master.
My joy when I found myself alone may be conceived.

Yet was it no ecstasy, but a sober exhilaration; such as stirred my pulses indeed, and bade me once more face the world with a firm eye and an assured brow, but was far from holding out before me a troubadour's palace or any dazzling prospect.