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you had sufficient influence with the prince de Porcian to in-duce him to pardon the murderer of his brother?"

"Unfortunately," replied Henry, "being still half huguenot, I have no influence over the prince de Porcian; he was wrong, therefore, to address me.

"But what do you think of the inclinations of the prince de Condé and M. de Porcian?"

"How can I tell their inclinations, René? God has not, that I know, given me the privilege of reading hearts.

"Your majesty may ask yourself the question," said the Florentine, calmly-"has there not been in your majesty's life some event so gloomy, that it may serve as an example of clemency-so painful, that it may be a touchstone for generosity?

These words were pronounced in a tone that made Charlotte shudder. The allusion was so direct, so manifest, that the young lady turned aside to hide her flushed face, and avoid Henry's look.

Henry made a powerful effort over himself, smoothed his brow, which, during the Florentine's address, had been heavy with menace, and changing the deep filial grief which weighed upon his heart into an air of vague reflection, said—

"In my life—a gloomy event!-no, René-no; I only recollect the folly and recklessness of my youth, mixed with those fatalities, more or less cruel, which are inflicted on all the frailties of nature, and the trials of God."

René mastered himself, in his turn, and turning his glance from Henry to Charlotte, as if to excite the one and restrain the other for Charlotte, going towards her toilet to conceal the feelings inspired by this conversation, again extended her hand towards the box of salve.

"But if, sire, you were the brother of the prince de Porcian, or the brother of the prince de Condé, and your brother had been poisoned, or your father assassinated?"

Charlotte uttered a cry, and again was about to apply the salve to her lips. René saw this, but neither stopped her by word nor gesture; he only said, hastily—

"In the name of heaven! sire, reply. Sire, if you were in their place, what would you do?"

Henry collected himself; wiped, with tremulous hand, his forehead bedewed with drops of cold perspiration, and elevating

his figure to its full height, replied in the midst of the breathless silence of René and Charlotte

"If I were in their place, and were sure of being king— that is to say, of representing God on earth-I would do like God, and forgive!"

"Madame," exclaimed René, snatching the salve from madame de Sauve's hands-" madame, give me that box! I see my assistant made a mistake in bringing it to you: tomorrow I will send you another."

CHAPTER XXIII.

A NEW CONVERT.

On the following day there was to be a hunt in the forest of St. Germain. Henry had desired that there should be kept ready, at eight o'clock in the morning, saddled and bridled, a small horse of the Béarn breed, which he intended as a present for madame de Sauve, but which he first intended to try himself. The horse was duly brought; and as the clock struck eight, Henry descended.

The horse, full of breed and fire, in spite of its small size, was plunging about in the court-yard. It was cold, and a slight hoar frost covered the ground.

Henry was about to cross the court-yard, in order to reach the stables, where the horse and his groom were awaiting, when passing before a Swiss soldier, who was on guard at the door, the sentinel presented arms to him, saying

"God preserve his majesty the king of Navarre!"

At this wish, and particularly the accent and emphasis of the voice that uttered it, the Béarnais started, and retreated a step, muttering the words, "De Mouy!"

"Yes, sire, de Mouy."

"And what are you doing here?” "Seeking you."

"What would you?"

"I must speak to your majesty!"

"Rash man!" said the king, going close to him, "do you know that you risk your head?"

"I know it, and I am here."

Henry turned slightly pale, looked around him, and retreated a second time no less quickly than before.

He saw the duc d'Alençon at a window.

Then changing his air, Henry took the musket from de Mouy, and appeared to be examining it.

"De Mouy," he said, "it is some very powerful motive that makes you come thus to throw yourself into the wolf's throat."

"It is, sire, and for eight days I have been on the watch. It was only yesterday I learned that your majesty meant to try this horse this morning, and I took my post, accordingly, at this door of the Louvre."

"Why under this costume?"

"The captain of the company is a protestant, and one of my friends."

"Take your musket, and continue your guard. We are watched. As I return, I will endeavour to say a word to you; but if I do not speak to you, do not stop me. Adieu!"

De Mouy resumed his measured tread, and Henry advanced towards the horse.

"What is that pretty creature?" inquired the duke d'Alençon, from his window.

"A horse I am going to try this morning."

"But it is not a man's horse."

"It is intended for a pretty woman."

"Be careful, Henry, or you will be indiscreet; for we shall see this pretty woman at the chase, and if I do not know whose chevalier you are, I shall at least learn whose esquire you may be."

"Eh, mon Dieu! you will not know," said Henry, with his wonted laugh, "for this pretty woman being very unwell this morning, she cannot ride to-day." And he sprung into the saddle.

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Ah, bah!" said d'Alençon, laughing-" poor madame de Sauve!"

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François! François!-'tis you who are indiscreet."

"And what ails the lovely Charlotte?" inquired the duke. "Why," answered Henry, "I hardly know. A kind of heaviness in the head, as Dariole informed me—a weakness in all her limbs, a perfect languor."

"And will that prevent you from accompanying us?" inquired d'Alençon.

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Why should it?" was Henry's reply. "You know how madly I love a hunt, and that nothing would make me miss

one.

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"You will miss this, however, Henry," replied the duke, as he turned round, and after having spoken an instant with some one whom Henry could not see, "for I learn from his majesty that the chase cannot take place."

"Bah!" said Henry, with the most disappointed air in the world; "and why not?"

"Very important letters have arrived from M. de Nevers, and there is a council being held by the king, the queenmother, and my brother the duke d'Anjou."

"Ah, ah!" said Henry to himself, "is there any news from Poland?" Then he added, aloud-"In this case, it is useless for me to run any more risk on this slippery ground. Au revoir! brother." And pulling his horse up short by de Mouy-" My friend," he said, " call one of your comrades to finish your guard. Help the groom to take the saddle off my horse, put it on your head, and carry it to the goldsmith of the royal stable: there is some embroidery to do to it, which he had not time to finish. You can bring me back his answer."

De Mouy hastily obeyed, for the duke d'Alençon had disappeared from his window, and it was evident he had conceived some suspicion. Scarcely, indeed, had the huguenotchief left the wicket, than the duke appeared. A real Swiss had taken de Mouy's place.

D'Alençon looked attentively at the fresh sentinel, then turning to Henry

"This is not the man with whom you were conversing just now, is it, brother?"

"The other was a young fellow of my house, for whom I obtained a post amongst the Swiss. I gave him a commission, which he has gone to execute.'

"Ah!" said the duke, as if satisfied with the answer; tr

how is Marguerite?"

"I am just going to inquire, brother."

"Haven't you seen her since yesterday?"

and

"No. I went last night at eleven o'clock; but Gillonne

told me she was much fatigued and asleep."

"You will not find her in her apartment. She has gone out." "Yes," replied Henry, "most likely. She was going to the Convent of the Annonciade."

There was no means of pushing the conversation further, as Henry appeared determined only to reply.

The two brothers-in-law then separated-the duke d'Alençon to go and hear the news, as he said, and the king of Navarre to return to his apartment.

At the moment the two brothers-in-law separated, some one knocked at the door of Henry's sleeping apartment. He opened the door, gave admittance to de Mouy, and closed the door after him.

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Sire," said de Mouy, "the time for action has arrived. Fear nothing, sire-we are alone; and I will be quick, for time is very precious. Your majesty may now, by a single word, restore to us all that we have lost for our holy religion during this disastrous year. Let us be explicit, let us be brief, let us be frank."

"I listen, my gallant de Mouy," replied the king, seeing that it was impossible any longer to avoid an explanation. "Is it true that your majesty has abjured the protestant religion?"

"It is true," said Henry.

"Yes; but is it an abjuration of the lips or of the heart?" "We are always grateful to God when he has saved our life," replied Henry, not replying directly to the question; "and God has visibly spared me in a most cruel strait and danger."

"But, sire," continued de Mouy, "confess that your abjuration is not a matter of conviction but of calculation. You have abjured, that the king may let you live, and not because God has spared your life."

"Whatever may be the cause of my conversion, de Mouy," answered Henry, "I am not the less a catholic."

"Yes; but shall you always continue one? Should an occasion present itself, would you not relapse? Well, this occasion presents itself at this moment : Rochelle is insurgent; Roussillon and Béarn only await the signal to act, and in Guienne all is ripe for revolt. Only avow that you were a catholic on compulsion, and I will answer for all the

rest."

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