However, I have forty-five formidable swords at command." "Commanded by the 46th, whom they call D'Epernon." "Not exactly." "By whom, then ?" "De Loignac." "And it is with them you think to defend yourself ?" "Yes, mordieu! yes." "Well, I have more troops than you." "You have troops ?" "Why not ?" "What are they ?" "You shall hear.

First, all the army that MM.

de Guise are raising in Lorraine." "Are you mad ?" "No; a real army--at least six thousand men." "But how can you, who fear M.de Mayenne so much, be defended by the soldiers of M.de Guise ?" "Because I am dead." "Again this joke!" "No; I have changed my name and position." "What are you, then ?" "I am Robert Briquet, merchant and leaguer." "You a leaguer ?" "A devoted one, so that I keep away from M.de Mayenne.

I have, then, for me, first, the army of Lorraine--six thousand men; remember that number." "I listen." "Then, at least one hundred thousand Parisians." "Famous soldiers!" "Sufficiently so to annoy you much: 6,000 and 100,000 are 106,000; then there is the pope, the Spaniards, M.de Bourbon, the Flemings, Henry of Navarre, the Duc d'Anjou--" "Have you done ?" interrupted Henri, impatiently.
"There still remain three classes of people." "What are they ?" "First the Catholics, who hate you because you only three parts exterminated the Huguenots: then the Huguenots, who hate you because you have three parts exterminated them; and the third party is that which desires neither you, nor your brother, nor M.de Guise, but your brother-in-law, Henri of Navarre." "Provided that he abjure.

But these people of whom you speak are all France." "Just so.