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Silence," said Charles; "it must be thought I die ↳ magic!"

“Who is it? d'Alençon?” "Perhaps."

"Or—” Marguerite whispered, as if alarmed at what she was going to say,-" our mother?”

Charles remained silent. Marguerite, however, read the answer in his eye, and sank into a chair.

"My God!" murmured she. "It is impossible!” 'Impossible?" said Charles.

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here."

"René?"

"It is a pity René is not

"Yes; he would tell you all about it: 'twas a book he lent to his mistress that was poisoned, and that has poisoned me. But this must be hidden from the world, and that it may be so, it must be believed I die of magic, and by the agency of him they accuse."

"But it is monstrous!" exclaimed Marguerite: "Pardon! pardon! You know he is innocent!"

“I know it, but the world must believe him guilty. Let your lover die: his death alone can save the honour of our family. I myself die that the secret may be preserved.”

Marguerite saw her only hope lay in her own resources, and withdrew, weeping.

Meantime, Catherine had lost not an instant, but had written to Laguesle the following historical letter, which we give word for word, and which throws a considerable light on this bloody drama:

"M. LE PROCUREUR,—I have this evening been informed for certain, that la Mole has committed sacrilege; many ill books and papers have been found in his apartments in Paris; see, therefore, the chief president, and inform him of the whole affair; of the waxen figure meant for the king, and which they have pierced to the heart.

"KATHERINE.”

CHAPTER LVI.

THE INVISIBLE BUCKLERS.

THE day after that on which Catherine had written this letter, the governor entered Coconnas' cell with an imposing cortège of two halberdiers and four black-gowned men.

Coconnas was invited to descend into the room where Laguesle and two judges waited to interrogate him, according to Catherine's instructions.

During the eight days he had passed in prison, Coconnas I had reflected deeply; besides that, he and la Mole seeing each other daily, had agreed on the conduct they were to pursue, which was to persist in an absolute denial, and they were persuaded that with a little address the affair would take a more favourable turn. Coconnas was ignorant that Henry was in the same prison with themselves, and the complaisance of his jailer told him that over his head there was extended protection, which he called invisible bucklers.

Up to this time, the interrogations had been confined to the designs of the king of Navarre, his projects of flight, and the part the two friends had borne in these projects. Coconnas had constantly replied in a way more than vague, and much more than adroit, and he was ready still to reply in a similar manner, and had prepared beforehand all his little repartees, when he suddenly found the object of the interrogatory to be altered.

It was now directed to several visits made to René, and one or more waxen figures made at la Mole's instigation. Prepared as he was, Coconnas believed that the accusation had lost much of its intensity, since it was no longer in reference to having betrayed a king, but to having made a figure of a queen, and this queen not more than from eight to ten inches high at most. He therefore replied, with much vivacity, that neither he nor his friend had played with a doll for many years; and he saw, with much satisfaction, that his replies more than once made the judges laugh. His interrogatory concluded, he went up to his chamber singing so merrily, that

la Mole, for whom he made all this noise, drew from it the brightest auguries.

La Mole was brought down from his tower, as Coconnas had been, and saw with equal astonishment the fresh turn which the investigation took. He was questioned as to his visits to René. He replied that he had only once visited the Florentine. Then, if he had not ordered a waxen figure? He replied, that René had showed him such a figure, ready-made. Then he was asked if this figure did not represent a man? He replied, that it represented a woman. Then, if the purpose

of the charm was not to cause the death of this man? He replied, that the purpose of the charm was to cause himself to be beloved by the woman.

These questions, put in a hundred different ways, were always replied to by la Mole in the same manner.

The judges looked at each other with a kind of indecision, not knowing very well what to say or do, when a note brought to the attorney-general solved the difficulty. It was thus couched:

"If the accused denies, put him to the torture.—K.”

The attorney put the note in his pocket, smiled at la Mole, and politely dismissed him. La Mole returned to his dungeon almost as assured, if not as joyous, as Coconnas.

"I think all will now go well," he said.

An hour afterwards, he heard footsteps, and saw a note which was slipped under his door, without seeing the hand that did it. He took it up with a trembling hand, and almost died with joy as he recognised the writing.

"Courage!" said the billet. "I am watching over you." "Ah! if she is watching," cried la Mole, kissing the billet which had touched a hand so dear" if she is watching, I am saved!"

It is necessary, in order that la Mole should comprehend the purport of the note, and rely, with Coconnas, on what the Piedmontese called his invisible bucklers, that we should conduct the reader to that small house, to that small chamber, where so many tender recollections, so many bitter feelings, were agonizing the heart of a female, lying back on a divan covered with velvet cushions.

"To be a queen-powerful, young, rich, beautiful—and suffer what I suffer!" exclaimed she "oh, it is horrible!"

Then, in her agitation, she rose, paced up and down, suddenly paused, pressed her burning forehead against the icecold marble, rose, pale and her face covered with tears, wrung her hands in agony, and fell back, fainting, into the nearest chair.

Suddenly the tapestry which separated the apartment in the Rue Cloche-Percée from the apartment in the Rue Tizon was lifted up, and the duchess de Nevers appeared.

"Ah!" exclaimed Marguerite-"is it you? With what impatience I have awaited you. Well, what news?"

"Bad news-bad news, my dear friend! Catherine herself is hurrying on the trial, and is at this moment at Vincennes." "And René?"

"Is arrested."

“And our dear prisoners?"

"The jailer informs me that they see each other daily. The day before yesterday they were searched, and la Mole broke your miniature to atoms rather than let them have it." "Dear la Mole!"

"Hannibal laughed in the teeth of the inquisitors."
"Worthy Hannibal!-and what more?"

66 They were this morning interrogated as to the flight of the king, his projects of rebellion in Navarre; and they said not one word."

“Oh, I knew they would keep silence; but silence will kill them just as much as if they spake."

"Yes, but we must save them."

You have thought over our plan, then?"

"I have occupied myself with it since yesterday."
"Well?"

"I have come to terms with Beaulieu. Ah, my dear queen, what a hard and greedy man! It will cost a man's life and three hundred thousand crowns."

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Only the life of a man and three hundred thousand crowns! Why it is nothing!"

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Nothing? Why it will cost us all our jewels at least." "Oh, that's nothing! The king of Navarre will pay something, duke d'Alencon pay something, my brother Charles must pay something, or if not

"Oh, do not trouble yourself'; I have the money, or at least three diamonds that will produce it. and the man"

"The man!-what man?"

"The man who must be killed, to be sure. already forgotten that there is a man to be killed?" "And you have found the man you wanted?" "Precisely so."

Have you

"At the same price?" asked Marguerite, with a smile. "At that price I could have found ten,” replied Henriette. "No, no, for five hundred crowns."

"Really?"

"Now listen: this is the plot. The chapel is the only place in the fortress where women (not being prisoners) are admitted. We shall hide behind the altar; under the cloth will be laid two daggers. The door of the sacristy will be previously opened. Coconnas will strike the jailer, who will fall down as if dead; we shall then appear, and each cast a cloak over the shoulders of our friend; we shall then fly with them by the small door of the sacristy, and, as we shall have the pass-word, we shall get out without difficulty."

"And once out?"

"Two horses will be in waiting at the door; they will jump on them, leave France, and reach Lorraine; whence they will occasionally return incognito."

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Oh, you restore me to life," said Marguerite. then, we shall save them."

"I feel almost confident."

"And soon?"

“Thus,

"In three or four days-Beaulieu is to let us know." "But if you were recognised in the environs of Vincennes, all our plans might be marred."

"How could any one recognise me? I go as a nun, with a large hood over my face; and no one would ever recognise the end of my nose."

"We cannot take too many precautions."

"I know that well enough, Mordi! as my poor dear Hannibal says."

"Have you any news of the king of Navarre?"

"Yes, he was never happier, it appears; laughs, sings, and eats, drinks, and sleeps well-all he asks is to be well guarded."

"He is right.."

"Adieu, Marguerite! I am going to take the field again."