She shivered as she had shivered under Tavannes' eye. And still she lingered, keeping him. Are you going to your lodging at once?' she asked-for the sake, it seemed, of saying something.

'No, I—I was thinking,' he answered a little hurriedly, 'of paying Rochefoucauld the compliment of seeing him home. He has taken a new lodging to be near the Admiral; a horrid bare place in the Rue Bethizy, without furniture, but he would go into it to-day. And he has a sort of claim on my family, you know.'

'Yes,' she said simply. Of course. Then I must not detain you. God keep you safe,' she continued, with a faint quiver in her tone; and her lip trembled. Good-night, and fair dreams,

Monsieur.'

He echoed the words gallantly. Of you, sweet!' he cried; and turning away with a gesture of farewell, he set off on his return.

He walked briskly, nor did he look back, though she stood awhile gazing after him. She was not aware that she gave thought to this; nor that it hurt her. Yet when bolt and bar were shot behind her, and she had mounted the cold, bare staircase of that day—when she had heard the dull echoing footsteps of her attendants as they withdrew to their lairs and sleeping-places, and still more when she had crossed the threshold of her chamber, and signed to Madame Carlat and her woman to listen-it is certain she felt a lack of something.

Perhaps the chill that possessed her came of that lack, which she neither defined nor acknowledged. Or possibly it came of the night air, August though it was; or of sheer nervousness, or of the remembrance of Count Hannibal's smile. Whatever its origin, she took it to bed with her, and long after the house slept round her, long after the crowded quarter of the Halles had begun to heave and the Sorbonne to vomit a black-frocked band, long after the tall houses in the gabled streets, from St. Antoine to Montmartre and from St. Denis on the north to St. Jacques on the south, had burst into rows of twinkling lights-nay, long after the Quarter of the Louvre alone remained dark, girdled by this strange midnight brightness-she lay awake. At length she too slept, and dreamed of home and Saintonge, and her castle of Vrillac washed day and night by the Biscay tides.

CHAPTER II.

HANNIBAL DE SAULX, COMTE DE TAVANNES.

'TAVANNES!' 'Sire.'

Tavannes, we know, had been slow to obey the summons. When he reached the presence, the King, with Retz and Rambouillet, his Marshal des Logis, had retired to the farther end of the Chamber; and apparently Charles had forgotten that he had called. His head a little bent-he had a natural stoop-the King seemed to be listening to a low but continuous murmur of voices that proceeded from the adjacent door of his closet. One voice frequently raised was a woman's; a foreign accent, smooth and silky, marked another; a third, that from time to time broke in, wilful and impetuous, was the voice of Monsieur, the King's brother, Catherine de Médicis' favourite son. Tavannes, waiting respectfully two paces behind the King, could catch little that was said; but Charles, something more, it seemed, for on a sudden. he laughed, a violent, mirthless laugh, and clapped Rambouillet on the shoulder.

There!' he said, with one of his horrible oaths, 'tis settled! 'Tis settled! Go, man, and take your orders! And you, M. de Retz,' he continued, in a tone of savage mockery, ‘go, my lord, and give them!'

I, sire?' the Italian Marshal answered in accents of deprecation. Sometimes the young King would show his impatience of the Italian ring, the Retzs and Biragues, the Strozzis and Gondys, with whom his mother surrounded him.

'Yes, you! You and my lady mother! And in God's name answer for it at the day!' Charles continued vehemently. You will have it! You will not let me rest till you have it! Then have it, only see to it, it be done thoroughly! There shall not be one left to cast it in the King's teeth and cry, "Et tu, Carole!" Swim, swim in blood if you will,' he continued with growing wildOh, 'twill be a merry night! And it's true so far, you may kill fleas all day, but burn the coat, and there's an end. So burn it, burn it, and--' He broke off with a start as he discovered Tavannes at his elbow. God's death, man!' he cried roughly, who sent for you?'

ness.

6

Your Majesty called me,' Tavannes answered; while, partly

urged by the King's hand, and partly anxious to escape, the others slipped into the closet and left them together.

'I sent for you? I called your brother, the Marshal!'

'He is within, sire,' Tavannes answered, indicating the closet. 'A moment ago I heard his voice.'

6

Charles passed his shaking hand across his eyes. Is he?' he muttered. So he is! I heard it too. And-and a man cannot be in two places at once!' Then while his haggard gaze, passing by Tavannes, roved round the Chamber, he laid his hand on Count Hannibal's breast. They give me no peace, Madame and the' Guises,' he whispered, his face hectic with excitement. They will have it. They say that Coligny-they say that he beards me in my own palace. And-and, mordieu,' with sudden violence, 'it's true! It's true enough! It was but to-day he was for making terms with me! With me, the King! Making terms! So it shall be, by God and Devil, it shall be! But not six or seven! No, no. All! All! There shall not be one left to say to me, "You did it!" ›

'Softly, sire,' Tavannes answered; for Charles had gradually raised his voice. 'You will be observed.'

For the first time the young King-he was but twenty-two years old, God pity him!-looked at him. To be sure,' he whispered; and his eyes grew cunning. Besides, and after all, there's another way, if I choose. Oh, I've thought and thought, I can tell you.' And shrugging his shoulders, almost to his ears, he raised and lowered his open hands alternately, while his back hid the movement from the Chamber. 'See-saw! See-saw!' he muttered. And the King between the two, you see. That's Madame's king-craft. She's shown me that a hundred times. But look you, it is as easy to lower the one as the other,' with a cunning glance at Tavannes' face, or to cut off the right as the left. And-and the Admiral's an old man and will pass; and for the matter of that I like to hear him talk. He talks well. While the others, Guise and his kind, are young, and I've often thought, oh, yes, I've thought-but there, with a sudden harsh ‘laugh, my lady mother will have it her own way. And for this time she shall, but, All! All! Even Foucauld, there! Do you mark him. He's sorting the cards. Do you see him as tre will be to-morrow, with the slit in his throat and his teeth showing? Why, God!' his-votce rising almost to a scream; the candles by him are burning blue! And with a shaking- hard, his face

convulsed, the young King clutched his companion's arm, and pinched it violently.

Count Hannibal shrugged his shoulders, but answered nothing. 'D'you think we shall see them afterwards?' Charles resumed, in a sharp, eager whisper. In our dreams, man? Or when the watchman cries, and we awake, and the monks are singing lauds at St. Germain, and-and the taper is low?'

Tavannes' lip curled. I don't dream, sire,' he answered coldly, and I seldom wake. For the rest, I fear my enemies neither alive nor dead.'

'Don't you? By G-d, I wish I didn't,' the young man exclaimed. His brow was wet with sweat. I wish I didn't. But there, it's settled. They've settled it, and I would it were done! What do you think of-of it, man? What do you think of it, yourself?'

Count Hannibal's face was inscrutable. I think nothing, sire,' he said drily. It is for your Majesty and your council to think. It is enough for me that it is the King's will.'

'But you'll not flinch?' Charles muttered with a quick look of suspicion. But there,' with a monstrous oath, 'I know you'll not! I believe you'd as soon kill a monk-though, thank God,' and he crossed himself devoutly, there is no question of that—as a man. And sooner than a maiden.'

'Much sooner, sire,' Tavannes answered grimly. If you have any orders in the monkish direction-no? Then your Majesty must not talk to me longer. M. de Rochefoucauld is beginning to wonder what is keeping your Majesty from your game. And others are marking you, sire.'

By the Lord!' Charles exclaimed with a ring of wonder mingled with horror in his tone, if they knew what was in our minds they'd mark us more! Yet, see Nançay there beside the door? He is unmoved. He looks to-day as he looked yesterday. Yet he has charge of the work in the palace—'

For the first time Tavanňes allowed a movement of surprise to escape him. In the palace?' he muttered. Is it to be done here, too, sire?'

Would you let some escape, to return by-and-by and cut our throats?' the King retorted with a strange outburst of fury; an incapacity to maintain the same attitude of mind for two minutes together was perhaps the fatal weakness of his ill-balanced nature. No. All! All!' he repeated with vehemence. Didn't

Noah people the earth with eight? But I'll not leave eight! My cousins, for they are blood-royal, shall live if they will recant. And my old nurse whether or no. And Paré, for no one else understands my complexion. And-'

'And Rochefoucauld, doubtless, sire?'

The King, whose eye had sought his favourite companion, withdrew it. He darted a lowering glance at Tavannes. 'Foucauld? Who said so?' he muttered fiercely. Not I! But we shall see. We shall see! And do you see that you spare no

one, M. le Comte, without an order. That is your business." 'I understand, sire,' Tavannes answered coolly. And then, seeing that the King had done with him, he bowed low and withdrew; watched by the circle, as all about a King were watched in the days when a King's breath meant life or death, and his smile made the fortunes of men. As he passed Rochefoucauld, the latter

looked up and nodded.

He's madder

What keeps brother Charles?' he muttered. than ever to-night. Is it a masque or a murder he is planning?' 'The vapours,' Tavannes answered with a sneer.

his old nurse has stuffed him withal. 'twill be well if you can divert him.'

'Old tales

He'll come by-and-by, and

'I will if he come,' Rochefoucauld answered, shuffling the cards. If not 'tis Chicot's business and he should attend to it. I'm tired and shall to bed.'

'He will come,' Tavannes answered, and moved, as if to go on. Then he stopped for a last word. He will come,' he muttered, stooping and speaking under his breath, but play him lightly. He is in an ugly mood. Please him, if you can, and it may serve.'

The eyes of the two met an instant, and those of Foucauld -so the King always called his Huguenot favourite-betrayed some surprise; for Count Hannibal and he were not intimate. But finding the other serious he raised his brows in acknowledgment. Tavannes nodded carelessly in return, looked an instant at the cards on the table, and passed on, pushed his way through the circle, and reached the door. He was lifting the curtain to go out, when Nançay, the Captain of the Guard, plucked his sleeve. What have you been saying to Foucauld, M. de Tavannes?' he muttered.

'I?

'Yes,' with a jealous glance, 'you, M. le Comte.'

Count Hannibal looked at him with the sudden ferocity that