The Lily & the Lion by Maurice Druon

Author:Maurice Druon
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-09-22T22:06:27+00:00

The old man's sunken face looked sly for the last time.

`I shall leave nothing in France but my bones, and they're of no great value,' he added.

`France has certainly not treated us well,' said Guccio Baglioni. `What do you mean? She's given you a son, and that's not too bad!'

'Of course,' said Robert of Artois, `you've got a son, haven't you? Is he coming on well?'

`Thank you, Monseigneur,' replied Guccio, `he'll soon be taller than I am he's fifteen now. But he shows little liking for banking.'

`He'll come to it, he'll come to it,' said the old man. `Very well, Monseigneur, we accept. Deposit your cash with us; we'll take it out of the country and give you letters of credit for the full amount. We'll take no commission. Ready money is always useful.'

`I'm grateful to you, Tolomei; my coffers will be brought to you tonight.'

`When money takes flight from a kingdom, that kingdom's happiness is measured. You will have your revenge, Monseigneur, I shall not see it, but I tell you, you'll have your revenge!'

Tolomei, who usually kept his left eye shut, now opened both of them and looked straight at Robert. There was a clear gleam of truth in them at the last. And Robert of Artois suddenly felt moved because an old Lombard, who was soon to die, had looked at him with compassion.`Tolomei, I have seen brave men in battle fight on to the end; in your own way you are as brave as they.'

The banker's lips parted in a sad smile.

`It is not courage,' Monseigneur, very much the contrary; If I were not dealing with banking business, I would be very much afraid at this moment!'

He raised his old hand from the coverlet and signed to Robert to come near.

Robert bent over him, as if to be told a secret.

`Monseigneur,' said Tolomei, `permit me to bless my last customer.'

And with his thumb he traced the sign of the cross over the giant's head, as Italian fathers do on the brows of their sons when they are about to set off on a long journey.

10. The Seat of Justice

PHILIPPE VI, crowned and wearing a royal robe, was seated on a throne, of which the arms ended in lions' heads, in the centre of a tiered dais. Above his head were the arms of France, embroidered on a great silk hanging. From time to time he leaned to his left towards his cousin, the King of Navarre, or to his right towards his relative, the King of Bohemia, to catch their eyes and make sure they realized how patient and forbearing he had been.

The King of Bohemia was shaking his splendid chestnut beard in mingled incredulity and indignation. How could a knight, a peer of France, a prince of the fleur de lis, as was Robert of Artois, have behaved like this, had a hand in all the sordid doings that were being read out and compromised himself with such wicked people?

In the front row of the

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