"Sir," I said, "let the chamber be cleared, or almost. Then let M. Barillon here go in as if he had a message from the French King. While he is there let a priest be brought by the back way, not through the antechamber at all—"
M. Barillon held up his hand.
"There would not be time," he said. "It does not take half an hour to deliver a message; and the priest's business would take full half an hour?"
"No! no!" cried James. "They would suspect something. Let Her Majesty come again to take her leave of the King; and then I will go in after for the same thing. While we are there, let the priest come, as Mr. Mallock has said—"
"Sir," said the Ambassador, "we must not have too many folks in this business—"
All this bargaining drove me near mad. Once more I broke in; and this time with more effect.
"Sir," I said to the Duke, "I entreat you to hear me. There is the little room at the back of His Majesty's bed, all ready, and empty too. We do not need all these devices. If you, Sir, will go to the King and prepare him for it, I will find a priest and bring him up the other way. I do not believe that even if there were folks in the bedchamber they would hear what passed."
"Which way would the priest come?" asked the Duke.
"There is a little stair in the corner of the room—"
"God! There is," cried the Duke. "I had forgotten it."