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pushed each other in the vestibule, in their endeavours to escape, finding the door far too small for their great desire to be outside it. Meantime Marguerite had instinctively thrown the damask coverlid of her bed over La Mole, and withdrawn from him.

No sooner had the last murderer departed, than the duke turned to his sister:

"Are you hurt?" cried he, seeing Marguerite covered with blood. And he darted towards his sister with an anxiety that did credit to his fraternal tenderness.

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No," said she, "I think not; or if I am, it is but slightly.

"But this blood," said the duke; "whence comes it?" "I know not,” replied she; "one of those wretches seized me, and perhaps he was wounded."

"What!" cried the duke, "dare to touch my sister? Oh, you but shown him to me-did I but know where to find him- 99

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"Leave me!" said Marguerite.

"Well, Marguerite," said he, " I will go; but you cannot remain alone this dreadful night. Shall I call Gillonne?" "No, no! leave me, Francois-leave me!"

The prince obeyed; and hardly had he disappeared, than Marguerite, hearing a groan from the recess, hastily bolted the door of the secret passage, and then hastening to the other entrance, closed it just as a troop of archers dashed by in hot chase of some other huguenot residents in the Louvre.

After glancing round, to assure herself she was really alone, she lifted the covering that had concealed La Mole from the duke d'Alençon, and tremblingly drawing the apparently. lifeless body, by great exertion, into the middle of the room, and finding the victim still breathed, sat down, placed his head on her knees, and sprinkled his face with water.

Then it was that the mask of blood, dust, and gunpowder which had covered his face, becoming removed, Marguerite recognised the handsome cavalier who, full of life and hope, had but three or four hours before solicited her protection and that of the king of Navarre; and whilst dazzled by her own beauty, had attracted her attention by his own.

Marguerite uttered a cry of terror, for now it was more

tnan mere pity that she felt for the wounded man-it was interest. He was no longer a stranger; he was almost an acquaintance. By her care, La Mole's fine features soon reappeared, free from stain, but pale and distorted by pain. A shudder ran through her whole frame, as she tremblingly placed her hand on his heart. It still beat. She then took a smelling-bottle from the table, and applied it his nostrils. La Mole opened his eyes.

"Oh! mon Dieu!" murmured he-" where am I?"

"Saved!" said Marguerite. "Re-assure yourself-you are saved."

La Mole turned his eyes on the queen, gazed earnestly for a moment, and murmuring-" Oh, loveliest of the lovely!" closed his lids, as if overpowered, and sent forth a long, deep sigh.

Marguerite started. He had become still paler than before, if that were possible, and she feared that sigh was his last.

"Oh, Heaven!" she cried, "have pity on him!"

At this moment, a violent knocking was heard at the door. Marguerite half raised herself, still supporting La Mole. "Who is there?" she cried.

Madame, it is I—it is I," replied a female voice; duchess de Nevers."

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"There is no danger; it

"Henriette!" cried Marguerite.
my friend. Do you hear me, sir?"

La Mole contrived to raise himself on one knee.

"Endeavour to support yourself," said the queen.

La Mole, resting his hand on the ground, managed to keep his equilibrium.

Marguerite advanced towards the door, but stopped suddenly.

"Ah, you are not alone!" she said, hearing the clash of arms outside.

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"No, I have twelve guards, that my brother-in-law, M. de Guise, assigned me."

"M. de Guise!" murmured La Mole. "The assassin-the assassin!"

"Silence!" said Marguerite. "Not a word!"

And she looked round, to see where she could conceal the wounded man.

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"A sword! a dagger!" muttered La Mole.

"To defend yourself-useless! Did you not hear? They are twelve, and you alone."

"Not to defend myself, but that I may not fall alive into their hands."

"No, no!" said Marguerite.

this cabinet! Come! come!"

"I will save you. Ah!

La Mole made an effort, and, supported by Marguerite, dragged himself to the cabinet. Marguerite locked the door

upon him, and hid the key in her alms-purse.

"Not a sound, not a movement," whispered she, through the lattice-work, "and you are saved.”

Then hastily throwing a mantle round her, she opened the door for her friend, who tenderly embraced her.

"Ah!" cried madame Nevers,“ you are unhurt, then?”

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Quite," replied Marguerite, wrapping the mantle still more closely round her, to conceal the blood on her dress.

""Tis well. However, M. de Guise has given me twelve of his guards to escort me to his hotel, and as I do not need so many, I will leave six with your majesty. Six of the duke's guards are worth a regiment of the king's to-night."

Marguerite dared not refuse; she placed the soldiers in the corridor, and embraced the duchess, who then returned to the Hotel de Guise, where she resided in her husband's absence.

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COCONNAS had not fled, he had but retreated; La Hurière had not fled, he had flown. The one had disappeared like a tiger, the other like a wolf.

The consequence was, that La Hurière had already reached the Place-Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, when Coconnas had only just quitted the Louvre.

La Hurière was prudently thinking of returning home,

but as he turned the corner, in the Rue de l'Arbre-Sec he fell in with a troop of Swiss and light horse, led by Maurevel.

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"Well!" exclaimed the latter, who had christened himself the King's Killer, "have you finished already? What the devil have you done with our Piedmontese gentleman? Has any mischance happened to him? It would be a pity, for he went to work like a hero."

"I hope not," responded La Hurière; " and where are you going to?"

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Oh, I have a small private affair."

"Then let me go with you," said a voice which made Maurevel start; "for you know all the good places." "It is M. de Coconnas," said La Hurière.

"Ah! you have come from the Louvre. Did your huguenot, then, take refuge there?" asked Maurevel.

"Mon Dieu! yes."

"I gave him a pistol-shot at the moment when he was picking up his sword in the admiral's court-yard, but I somehow or other missed him."

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'I," added Coconnas, "did not miss him: I gave him such a thrust in the back that my sword was wet five inches up the blade. Besides, I saw him fall into the arms of madame Marguerite, a fine woman, mordi! yet I confess I should not be sorry to hear he was really dead; the vagabond is infernally spiteful, and capable of bearing me a grudge all his life."

"Do you mean to go with me?"

"Why, I do not like standing still. Mordi! I have only killed three or four as yet, and when I get cold my shoulder pains me.-Forward! forward!"

"Captain," said Maurevel to the commander of the troop, "give me three men, and go on your own way with the rest.'

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Three Swiss were desired to follow Maurevel, who, followed by Coconnas and La Hurière, went towards the Rue Sainte Avoiè.

"Where the devil are we going?" asked Coconnas.

"To the Rue du Chaume, where we have important business."

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"Tell me," said Coconnas, "is not the Rue du Chaume near the Temple?"

"Why?"

"Because an old creditor of our family lives there, one Lambert Mercandon, to whom my father has desired me to hand over a hundred rose nobles I have in my pocket for that purpose."

"Well," replied Maurevel, "this is a good opportunity for paying it. This is the day for settling old accounts. Is your Mercandon a huguenot?"

"Oh, I understand!" said Coconnas; " he must be"Hush! here we are."

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"What is that large hotel, with its entrance in the street?" "The Hotel de Guise."

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"Truly," returned Coconnas, "I ought not to have failed coming here, as I am under the patronage of the great Henry. But mordi! all is so very quiet in this quarter, we might fancy ourselves in the country. Devil fetch me but everybody is asleep!"

And indeed the Hotel de Guise seemed as quiet as in ordinary times. All the windows were closed, and a solitary light burned behind the blind of the principal window over the entrance. At the corner of the Rue des Quatre-Fils Maurevel stopped.

"Do you,

"This is the house of him we seek,” he said. La Hurière, with your sleek look, knock at the door; hand your arquebuse to M. de Coconnas, who has been ogling it this last half hour. If you are introduced, you must ask to speak to M. de Mouy."

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"Oh!" said Coconnas, 66 now I understand-you have a creditor in the Quarter of the Temple, it would seem.' "Exactly so!" responded Maurevel. "You will go up to him in the character of a huguenot, and inform M. de Mouy of all that has passed: he is brave, and will come down." "And once down- -?" asked La Hurière.

"Once down, I will beg of him to cross swords with me." La Hurière, without making any reply, knocked at the door, and the sounds echoing in the silence of the night caused the doors of the Hotel de Guise to open, and several heads to make their appearance from out them; it was then evident that the hotel was quiet, after the fashion of citadels, that is

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