"Do. you think so ?"

"I have daily proofs of this. The troop that joined us at the hunt-- did you remark the men who composed it ?"

"Yes; they were converted gentlemen."

"The chief of this troop, who made me a sign-did you recognise him?"

"Yes; it was the vicomte de Turenne."

"Did you understand what they wished?" "Yes; they proposed to you to fly."

"Then," said Henry, "it is evident that there is a second party with different views from M. de Mouy, and that a very powerful one; so that, in order to succeed, it is requisite to unite the two parties, Turenne and de Mouy. The conspiracy strengthens-troops are ready-they but await the signal -and between my two resolutions I waver; and have, therefore, come to submit them to you as a friend."

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Say rather as a brother!"

"First, let me expose the state of my mind, my dear François no desire, no ambition, no capacity. I am a good sort of country gentleman-poor, indolent, and timid: the idea of conspirator presents to me a chance of disgrace, badly compensated by even the assured perspective of a crown."

"Ah, my brother!" said François, you are wrong; "nothing can be more pitiable than the position of a prince whose fortune is limited by a landmark, or by some individual in the career of honour. I cannot, therefore, credit what you say."

"Yet I speak only the truth, my brother," was Henry's reply; "and if I could believe that I had a real friend, I would resign in his favour all the power which the party attached to me would confer; but," he added with a sigh, "I have not one.'

Perhaps you are mistaken."

I

"No, ventre-saint-gris!" cried Henry. "Except yourself, brother, I see no one who is attached to me; and then, I must inform my brother the king of all that is going on. will name no person-I will not mention country, nor date; but I will prevent the catastrophe."

"Grand Dieu!" exclaimed d'Alençon, who could not

repress his alarm-"what are you saying? You, the sole hope of the party since the admiral's death; you, a converted huguenot-scarce converted, as it would seem--would you raise the knife against your brothers? Henry, Henry, in doing that, you will hand over to a second Saint Bartholomew all the calvinists of the kingdom! Do you know that Catherine only awaits such an opportunity to exterminate all the survivors?"

And the trembling duke, his face marbled with red and livid spots, pressed Henry's hand, in his eagerness to make him promise to renounce a resolution which must destroy him.

"What!" said Henry, with an air of much surprise, “do you think, François, that so many misfortunes must then occur? Yet it seems to me that, with the king's guarantee, I could save the imprudent partisans."

"The guarantee of king Charles the Ninth, Henry? Did not the admiral have it? Teligny? yourself? Ah, Henry! I tell you, if you do this, you destroy them all; not only them, but also all directly or indirectly connected with them."

Henry appeared to reflect for a moment

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If," he said, "I were an important prince at court, 1 should act otherwise: in your place, for instance, François, a son of France, and probable heir to the throne."

François shook his head sceptically, and said, "What would you do in my place?"

"In your place, my brother," replied Henry, "I should put myself at the head of this movement. My name and credit would answer to my conscience for the life of the seditious; and I would derive from it something useful for myself, in the first instance, and then for the king; and this from an enterprise which otherwise may terminate in great mischief for France."

D'Alençon listened to these words with a joy which expanded all the muscles of his face, and replied

"Do you think this practicable, and will avoid all those evils which you foresee?"

"I do," said Henry. "The huguenots like you your modest exterior, your situation elevated and interesting at the same time, and the kindness you have always evinced to those of the reformed faith, induce them to serve you."

"But," said d'Alençon, "there is a schism in the party: will those who are for you be for me?"

"I will undertake to conciliate them, on two grounds." "What are they?"

"In the first place, through the confidence which the chiefs have in me; then from their fear when your highness, knowing their names- -But without further persuasion, my brother, take up this matter. Reign in Navarre; and so that you keep for me a place at your table and a good forest for hunting, I shall be perfectly happy."

"Reign in Navarre!" said the duke; "but if

"If the duke d'Anjou is named king of Poland?—you would say."

François cast a look of terror on Henry. ·

"If the duke d'Anjou is nominated king of Poland, and our brother Charles (whom God preserve!) should die, it is but two hundred leagues from Pau to Paris, whilst it is four hundred from Paris to Cracow; and you would be here to claim the inheritance at the moment when the king of Poland would only have learned of its being vacated. Then, if you are satisfied with me, François, you may give me this kingdom of Navarre, which will then be only one of the offshoots of your crown. Under these circumstances, I would accept

it.

The worst that can arrive is, to remain king there, and live en famille with me and my wife; whilst here, what are you?-a poor, persecuted prince, a poor third son of the king, a slave of two elder brothers, whom a caprice may send to the Bastille."

"Yes, yes," said François; "I feel all this so well, that I cannot understand how you renounce all the hopes that you propose for me.”

"There are," said Henry, with a smile, "burthens too heavy for certain hands. I shall not try to lift this one."; “Then, Henry, you really renounce?"

"I said so to de Mouy, and I repeat it to you."

"But in such cases, brother," said d'Alençon, " men do not say, they prove."

"I will prove it this evening," was the reply: "at nine D'clock, the list of the chiefs and the plan of the enterprise shall be in your hands."

François took Henry's hand, and pressed it with fervour.

At the same moment, Catherine entered the apartment, and, as usual, without being announced.

"Together," she said, with a smile, "like two loving brothers."

"I hope so, madame," replied Henry, with the utmost composure, whilst the duke d'Alençon turned pale with

agony.

The queen-mother then took from her gypsire a magnificent jewel, and said to François (from whom Henry had receded several paces)—" This clasp comes from Florence, and I give it you to fasten your sword;" then she added, in a low voice: "If you should hear any noise this evening in the apartment of your good brother Henry, do not heed it." François grasped his mother's hand, and said: "Will you allow me to show him the handsome present you have just made me?"

"Do still better; give it to him in your own and my name for I had ordered a second for that purpose."

"Do you hear, Henry?" said François; "my good mother brings me this jewel, and redoubles its value by allowing me to offer it to you."

Henry went into raptures at the beauty of the jewel, and was profuse in his thanks.

"My son," said Catherine, "I do not feel well, and am going to bed. Your brother Charles is much shaken by his fall, and wishes to do the same thing. We shall not, therefore, all sup together.-Ah, Henry! I forgot to compliment you on your courage and skill: you have saved your king and brother, and you must be recompensed for such high service."

"I am recompensed already," replied Henry, with a bow.

"By the feeling that you have done your duty?" was Catherine's reply; "but that is not enough for Charles and myself, and we must devise some means of requiting our obligation towards you."

"All that may come from you and my good brother must be welcome, madame," was Henry's reply; and, bowing, he left the apartment.

"Ah, my worthy brother François!" thought Henry, as he went out " now I am sure not to go away alone; and the conspiracy, which had a heart, has now found a head, and

what is still better, this head is responsible to me for my own: only let us be on our guard. Catherine has made me a present-Catherine promises me a recompense; there is some devilry or other, then, brewing, and I will have a conversation this evening with Marguerite."

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE GRATITUDE OF KING CHARLES THE NINTH.

MAUREVEL had remained for a portion of the day in the king's armoury; and when Catherine saw the moment approach of the return from the chase, she had desired him and his satellites to pass into her oratory.

Charles IX., informed by his nurse, on his arrival, who the man was, and remembering the order his mother had extracted from him in the morning, understood everything.

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Ah, ah!" he murmured-"the time is ill-chosen, on the very day on which he has saved my life."

And he was about to go to his mother, but suddenly changed his intention.

"Mordieu!" he exclaimed, "if I speak to her of it, what a discussion will ensue! We had better act each for oneself. -Nurse," he continued, "shut all the doors, and inform the queen Elizabeth (Charles IX. was married to Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of Maximilian), that, being rather unwell from my fall, I shall sleep in my own apartment to-night."

The nurse obeyed; and as the hour for his plan had not arrived, Charles began to write verses. It was the occupation in which he most delighted: and thus, nine o'clock struck, when Charles thought it was only seven. He counted the strokes one after the other, and at the last he rose- "Nom d'un diable!" he exclaimed, "it is precisely the time."

Taking his cloak and hat, he went out by a secret door which he had had made in the panelling, and of the existence of which Catherine herself was ignorant.

Charles went straight to Henry's apartment. Henry had