"Well, madame, I believe you, and accept the alliance. They married us without our knowing each other-without our loving each other; they married us without consulting as-us whom they united. We therefore owe nothing to each other, as man and wife; but we ally ourselves freely and without any compulsion. We ally ourselves, as two loyal hearts who owe each other mutual protection should ally themselves; 'tis as such you understand it?”

"Yes, sir," said Marguerite, endeavouring to withdraw her hand.

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Well, then," continued the Béarnais, with his eyes fixed on the cabinet, "as the first proof of a frank alliance is the most perfect confidence, I will now, madame, relate to you, in all its details, the plan I have formed, in order that we may victoriously meet and overcome all these enemies."

"Sir," said Marguerite, turning her eyes towards the closet, whilst the Béarnais, seeing his trick succeed, laughed in his sleeve.

"This is what I mean to do," he continued, without appearing to remark the uneasiness of his young wife, “I intend

"Sir," said Marguerite, rising hastily, and seizing the king's arm- "allow me a little breath; my emotion-the heat-overpowers me."

And, in truth, Marguerite was as pale and trembling as if she was about to fall on the carpet.

Henry went straight to a window some distance off, and opened it. This window looked on the river.

Marguerite followed him.

pity's sake!" she murmured.

"What, madame," said the Béarnais, with his peculiar smile, "did you not say we were alone?"

"Yes, sir; but have you not heard me say that by the aid of a tube introduced into the ceiling or the wall everything could be heard?"

"Well, madame, well," said the Béarnais. earnestly and in a low voice; "it is true you do not love me, but you are, at least, honourable."

"What do you mean, sir?”

"I mean that if you were capable of betraying me, you would have allowed me to continue, as I might have betrayed

myself. You stopped me-I now know that some one is concealed here—that you are an unfaithful wife, but a faithful ally; and, at this moment, I have more need of fidelity in politics than in love."

"Sire!" replied Marguerite, confused.

"Good, good; we will talk of this hereafter," said Henry, "when we know each other better."

Then raising his voice-" Well," he continued, "do you breathe more freely now, madame?"

"Yes, sire-yes!"

"Well, then," said the Béarnais, "I will no longer intrude on you. I owed you my respects, and some advances towards better acquaintance; deign, then, to accept them, as they are offered, with all my heart. Good night, and happy slumbers!" Marguerite raised to her husband her eyes, brilliant with gratitude, and, in her turn, extended her hand.

"It is agreed," she said.

"Political alliance, frank, and loyal?" asked Henry. "Frank and loyal," was the reply.

And the Béarnais went towards the door, followed by Marguerite's look. Then, when the curtain had fallen between them and the bedchamber:

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Thanks, Marguerite," he said, in a quick and low tone, "thanks! You are a true daughter of France. I leave you quite tranquil; lacking your love, your friendship will not fail me. I rely on you, as you, for your part, may rely on me. Adieu, madame."

And Henry kissed his wife's hand, and pressed it gently. Then with a quick step he returned to his own apartment, saying to himself, in a low voice, in the corridor:

"Who the devil is with her? Is it the king, or the duke d'Anjou, or the duke d'Alençon, or the duke de Guise? is it a brother or a lover-is it both? I' faith, I am almost sorry now I asked the baroness for this rendezvous; but, as my word is pledged, and Dariole awaits me, no matter. Yet, ventre-saint-gris! this Margot, as my brother-in-law, king Charles, calls her, is an adorable creature."

And with a step which betrayed a slight hesitation, Henry of Navarre ascended the staircase which led to madame de Sauve's apartments.

Marguerite had followed him with her eyes until he disap

peared. Then she returned to her chamber, and found the duke at the door of the cabinet. The sight almost touched her with remorse.

The duke was grave, and his knitted brow bespoke bitter reflection.

"Marguerite is neutral to-day," he said-" Marguerite will be hostile in a week."

"Ah! you have been listening ?" said Marguerite.

"What else could I do in the cabinet ?"

"And did you find that I behaved otherwise than the queen of Navarre should behave?"

"No; but differently from the way in which the mistress of the duke de Guise should behave."

"Sir," replied the queen, I may not love my husband, but no one has the right to require me to betray him. Would you yourself reveal the secrets of the princess de Porcian, your wife?"

"Come, come, madame," answered the duke, shaking his head, "this is very well; I see that you do not love me as in those days when you disclosed to me the plot of the king against me and my party."

"The king was strong, and you were weak; Henry is weak, and you are strong. You see I play a consistent part." "Only you pass from one camp to another."

"That was a right I acquired, sir, in saving your life." "Good, madame: and as when lovers separate, they return all the gifts that have passed between them, I will save your life, in my turn, and we shall be quits."

And bowing politely, the duke left the room, nor did Marguerite attempt to retain bim.

In the antechamber he found Gillonne, who guided him to the window on the ground-floor, and in the fosse he found his page, with whom he returned to the Hotel de Guise. Marguerite went to the opened window.

"What a marriage night!" she murmured to herself; "the husband flies-the lover forsakes me!"

She shut the window, and called Gillonne to help her to undress and retire to bed.

CHAPTER III.

THE POET-KING.

THE morrow and following days were passed in a succession of balls, tournaments, and banquets. The king seemed to have laid aside his usual melancholy, and the queen-mother was so occupied with embroidery, ornaments, and plumes, that she could not sleep.

The huguenots, in some measure appeased, began to assume silken pourpoints, wear devices, and parade before certain balconies, as if they were catholics.

On every side the re-action in favour of the protestants was so great, that it seemed the court was about to become protestant itself; even the admiral, in spite of his discernment, was deceived, and was so carried away, that one evening he forgot for two whole hours his toothpick, which he always used from two o'clock, the hour at which he dined, until eight o'clock at night, when he sat down to supper.

The evening on which the admiral thus unaccountably deviated from his usual habits, king Charles IX. had invited Henry of Navarre and the duke de Guise to sup with him; after the repast, he went into his chamber, and was busily explaining to them the mechanism of a wolf-trap he had invented, when, interrupting himself-" The admiral does not come to-night," said he; "who has seen him to-day, and can tell me anything about him?"

I have," said the king of Navarre; "and should your majesty be anxious about him, I can re-assure you, for I saw him this morning at six, and this evening at seven o'clock."

"Ah, ah!" replied the king, whose eyes were instantly fixed with a searching expression on his brother-in-law; "for a new married man, Harry, you are very early."

"Yes, sire," answered the king of Navarre, "I wished to inquire of the admiral, who knows everything, whether some gentlemen I expect are on their way hither."

"More gentlemen! why, you had eight hundred on the day of your wedding, and fresh ones join you every day. You are surely not going to invade us?" said Charles IX., smiling. The duke de Guise frowned.

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Sire," returned the Béarnais, "a war with Flanders is spoken of, and I am collecting round me all those gentlemen of my country whom I think can be useful to your majesty." The duke, calling to mind the pretended project Henry had mentioned to Marguerite the day of their marriage, listened still more attentively.

"Well, well,” replied the king, with a sinister smile, “the more the better; let them all come. But who are these gentlemen?-brave ones, I trust?"

"I know not, sire, if my gentlemen will ever equal those of your majesty, of the duke d'Anjou, or of the duke de Guise, but I know that they will do their best."

"Do you expect many?"

"Ten or twelve, perhaps."

"What are their names?"

"Sire, I cannot at this moment call any of them to mind, with the exception of one, whom Teligny recommends to me as a most accomplished gentleman, and whose name is De la Mole."

"De la Mole!" said the king, who was perfectly acquainted with the genealogy of all the noble families of France" is he not a Lerac de la Mole, a Provençal?"

"Exactly so, sire; you see, I recruit even in Provence." "And I," added the duke de Guise, with a sarcastic smile, go even further than the king of Navarre, for I seek even in Piedmont all the brave catholics I can find."

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"Catholic or huguenot," interrupted the king, "it little matters to me, so they are brave."

The expression of the king's face whilst he uttered these words, which thus united catholics and huguenots in his thoughts, was so full of indifference, that the duke himself was surprised.

"Your majesty is occupied with the Flemings," said the admiral, to whom Charles had some days previously accorded the favour of entering without being announced, and who had overheard the king's last words.