Marguerite began to understand what Catherine had whispered to Charles, but affected to remain in ignorance.

"Why do you tell me this, brother?" she replied, with a well-affected air of melancholy; "was it for the sake of recalling to me that no one here loves me or clings to me, nor even those whom nature has given to me as protectors, whom the church has given me as my spouse?"

"You are unjust," said the duke d'Alençon, drawing his chair still nearer to his sister, "I love you and protect you!"

"Brother," said Marguerite, looking steadfastly at him, "have you anything to say to me on the part of the queenmother?"

"I! you mistake, sister. I swear to you-what can make you think that?"

"What can make me think that?-why, because you break the intimacy that binds you to my husband, you abandon the cause of the king of Navarre-an alliance with whom

"Has now become impossible, sister," interrupted the duke d'Alençon.

"And wherefore?"

"Because the king has designs on your hushand, and our mother has seen through them all. I allied myself to the huguenots, because I believed the huguenots were in favour, but now they kill the huguenots, and in another week there will not remain fifty in the whole kingdom. I held out my hand to the king of Navarre, because he was your husband; but now he is not your husband, what can you say to that— you, who are not only the loveliest woman in France, but have the clearest head in the kingdom?"

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Why, I have to say," replied Marguerite, "that I know our brother Charles; I saw him yesterday in one of those fits of frenzy, every one of which shortens his life ten years. I have to say that these attacks are, unfortunately, very frequent, and that thus, in all probability, our brother Charles has not very long to live; and, finally, I have to say that the king of Poland is just dead, and the question of electing a prince of the house of France in his stead is much discussed, and when circumstances are thus, it is not the moment to abandon allies, who, in the moment of struggle,

might support us with the strength of a nation and the power of a kingdom."

"And you!" exclaimed the duke, "do you not act much more treasonably to me in preferring a stranger to your own house?"

"Explain yourself, François!-in what have I acted treasonably to you?"

"You, yesterday, begged the life of the king of Navarre from king Charles."

"Well?" said Marguerite.

The duke rose hastily, paced round the chamber twice or thrice with a bewildered air.

"Adieu, sister!" he said at last.

"You would not understand me; do not, therefore, complain of whatever may happen to you."

Marguerite turned pale, but remained fixed in her place. She saw the duke d'Alençon go away, without making any attempt to detain him; but scarcely had he entered the corridor, than he returned.

"Sister Marguerite," he said, "I had forgotten one thing; that is, that to-morrow, at a certain hour, the king of Navarre will be dead."

Marguerite uttered a cry, for the idea that she was the instrument of assassination, caused in her a fear she could not subdue.

"And you will not prevent this death," she said "you will not save your best and most faithful ally?"

"Since yesterday, the king of Navarre is no longer my ally."

"Then who is?"

"M. de Guise. By destroying the huguenots,. M. de Guise has become the king of the catholics."

"And is it a son of Henry II., who recognises as his king a duke of Lorraine?"

"You will not see things in a right light, Marguerite." "I confess that I seek in vain to read your thoughts." "Sister, you are of as good a house as the princess de Porcian; de Guise is no more immortal than the king of Navarre. Well, Marguerite, suppose that Monsieur is elected king of Poland; well, I am king of France, and

you, my sister, shall reign with me, and be queen of the catholics."

Marguerite was overwhelmed at the depth of the views of this youth, whom no one at court even thought possessed of common understanding.

"There is only one thing which can prevent this capital plan from succeeding, brother," said she, rising as she spoke.

"And what is that?"

"That I do not love the duke de Guise."

"And whom, then, do you love?"

"No one."

D'Alencon looked at Marguerite with the astonishment of a man, who, in his turn, does not comprehend, and left the apartment, pressing his cold hand on his forehead, which ached to bursting.

Marguerite was alone and thoughtful, when queen Catherine sent to know if she would accompany her in a pilgrimage to the hawthorn of the Cemetery of the Innocents.

She sent word, that if they would prepare a horse, she would most readily accompany their majesties.

A few minutes after, the page came to tell her that all was ready; and, after a sign to Gillonne to take care of la Mole, she went forth.

The king, the queen-mother, Tavannes, and the principal catholics, were already mounted. Marguerite cast a rapid glance over the group, which was composed of twenty persons nearly, but the king of Navarre was not of the party.

Madame de Sauve was there, and she exchanged a glance with her, which convinced the queen of Navarre that her husband's mistress had something to tell her.

As they proceeded, the people shouted and cried, "Vive le roi! Vive la messe! Mort aux huguenots!”

When they reached the top of the Rue des Prouvelles, they met some men who were dragging a carcass without a head. It was that of the admiral. The men were going to hang it by the feet at Montfaucon.

They entered the Cemetry of Saint Innocents, and the clergy, forewarned of the visit of the king and the queenmother, awaited their majesties to harangue them.

Madame de Sauve profited by a moment when Catherine was listening to the discourse that was being made, to approach the queen of Navarre, and beg leave to kiss her hand. Marguerite extended her arm towards her, and madame de Sauve, as she kissed the queen's hand, secretly put a small piece of paper up her sleeve.

Quick and well managed as was madame de Sauve's proceeding, yet Catherine perceived it, and turned round at the moment when the maid of honour was kissing Marguerite's hand.

The two women saw that look, which penetrated them like lightning, but both remained unmoved; only madame de Sauve left Marguerite, and resumed her place near Catherine.

When the address was finished, Catherine made a gesture, smilingly, to the queen of Navarre, who went towards her. "Eh, my daughter," said the queen-mother, in her Italian patois, are you, then, on such intimate terms with madame de Sauve?"

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Marguerite smiled in turn, and gave to her lovely countenance the bitterest expression she could, as she said

"Yes, mother; the serpent came to bite my hand!"

"Ah, ah!” replied Catherine, with a smile, "you are jealous, I think!""

"You mistake, madame, "replied Marguerite; "I am no more jealous of the king of Navarre than the king of Navarre is jealous of me, only I know how to distinguish my friends from my enemies. I like those who like me, and detest those who hate me. If not, madame, should I be your daughter?"

Catherine smiled so as to make Marguerite understand, that, if she had had any suspicion, it had vanished.

At this moment arrived other pilgrims. The duke de Guise came with a troop of gentlemen, all warm still with recent carnage. They escorted a litter, richly covered with tapestry, which stopped in front of the king.

"The duchess de Nevers!" cried Charles IX., "let that lovely and pure catholic come and receive our compliments. Why, they tell me, cousin, that from your window you made war on the huguenots, and killed one with a stone.",

The duchess de Nevers blushed exceedingly.

H

Sire," she said, in a low tone, and kneeling before the king, "it was, on the contrary, a wounded catholic, whom I had the good fortune to rescue."

me.

"Good-good, my cousin! there are two ways of serving

During this time, the people again cried-"Vive le roi! Vive le duc de Guise! Vive la messe!"

66 Do you return to the Louvre with us, Henriette?" inquired the queen-mother of the lovely duchess.

Marguerite touched her friend on the elbow, who, understanding the sign, replied

"No, madame, unless your majesty desire it; for I have business in the city with her majesty the queen of Navarre." "And what are you going to do together?" inquired Catherine.

"To see some very rare and curious Greek books found at an old protestant pastor's, and which have been taken to the Tower of Saint Jacques la Boucherie," replied Marguerite.

"You would do much better to see the last huguenot flung from the top of Pont-aux-Meuniers into the Seine," said Charles IX.; "that is the place for all good Frenchmen."

"We will go, if it be your majesty's desire,” replied the duchess de Nevers.

Catherine cast a look of distrust on the two young women. Marguerite, on the watch, remarked it, and turning herself round uneasily, looked about her.

This assumed or real disquietude did not escape Catherine. "What are you looking for?"

"I am seeking-I do not see"Whom are you seeking?"

"she replied.

"La Sauve," said Marguerite; "she must have returned to the Louvre."

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"Did I not say you were jealous?" said Catherine, in her daughter's ear. Oh, bestia! Come-come, Henriette," she added, "begone, and take the queen of Navarre with you." Marguerite pretended to look still about her; then turning towards her friend, she said, in a whisper

"Take me away quickly; I have matters of great importance to say to you."