The House of the Wolf: A Romance

ven now. I can shut my eyes and see again, after all these years, what I saw then-just the blue summer sky, and one grey angle of the keep, from

t out for her. It was the second Thursday in August, and hot. Even the jackdaws were silent. I had almost fallen asleep, watching my cloud grow longer and longer, a

me; and I turned to her. And lo! she was blushing in the most heavenly way, and her eyes were full of tears, and she looked at us adorably. And we all three sat up on ou

read out my arms. "Oh, Mademo

t on his back, and spread out his arms and moane

was always ridiculous in his ways. He fell flat on hi

y and half confused, and said with a fine redness in his cheeks, "Mademoiselle de Caylus, our cousin, we give you joy,

before me in those days-and taking his place. Then with my best bow I began, "Mademoiselle, we give you joy a

of your house," sugge

r hand in turn, beginning with me and ending with Croisette, as was becoming. Afterwards Catherine threw her handkerchief

mething to add. "What will the

thinking of myself before; but this opened quite

hat I was sorry I had spoken-apart from the kick Croisette g

ame in last night from St. Anton

ould scarcely have found it in his heart to hurt our cousin. Her slight willowy figure, her pale oval face and gentle brown eyes, her pleasant voice, her kindness, seemed to us boys and in those days, to

nted by the marriage of Henry of Navarre with Margaret of Valois, the King's sister. The Vicomte de Caylus, Catherine's father and our guardian, was one of the governors appointed to see the peace enforced; the respect in which he was held by both parties-he was a Catholic, but no bigot, God rest his soul!-recommending him for this employment. He had therefore gone a week or two before

d to read and write, we knew little more than Catherine herself of the world; little more of the pleasures and sins of court life, and not one-tenth as much as she did of its graces. Still she had taught us to dance and make a bow. Her prese

ere still chewing the melancholy cud of Kit's announcement, and cried sepulchrally, "M. le Vidame

nto it. Gil had spoken before his head had well risen to view, and this gave us a moment, just a moment. Croisette made a rush for the doorway into the house; but failed to gain it, and drew himself up behind a buttress of the towe

magnificent grace that was born of his size and manner combined, "I rode in late last night from Toulouse

continued indolently, "two of the maidens of Caylus, I see. With an odd pair of hands apiece, unless I am mistaken, Why do you

hind his back. We looked hotly at

s with mice. "It offends your dignity, perhaps, that I bid Mademoiselle set you

called my godfather, Anne de Montmorenci a girl, M. le Vidame!" For though we counted it a jok

he stood there dominating our terrace! "M. de Montmorenc

ty that he did not think us worth another word-that we had passed absolutely from his mind. Madame Claude came waddling out at the same moment, G

ty of his manner, and the harsh threatening voice that permitted of no disguise. It was the sum of these things, the great brutal presence of the man-that was overpowering-that made the great falter and the poor crouch. And then his reputation! Though we knew little of the world's wickedness, all we did know had come to us linked with his name. We h

nwittingly flirted her prettiness. Poor Catherine! No doubt she had her own reasons for uneasiness; more reasons I fancy than I then guessed. For she seemed to have lost her voice. She stammered and made but poor replie

escribe, but there was a look in the Vidame's eyes at that moment which I had never seen before. A look of pain almost: of dumb savage alarm at an

he course of Providence, something had drawn her attention elsewhere. She was unconscious of his regard. Her

s face. Slowly he took his eyes fr

lls are scarcely five hundred yards distant on either side, rising in tamer colours from the green fields about the brook. It is possible from the terrace to see the whole valley, and the road which passes thr

tary horseman was descending

s something in his voice she had never heard in any voice before-something that to a woman was like a blow. "Mademoiselle," h

ness of sight and wit. He must have recognized the Pavannes badge at that distance. "M. le Vidame," I said indignantly-Catherine was white and voiceless-"

g and the ROUE. Then the Vidame bowed to me in quite a new fashion. "M. Anne de Caylu

ed to answer, "Nay, not for M. de Pavannes. Rather for my cousin." And I bowed. "I have the honour on her behalf to acknowledge your congratulations, M. le Vidame. It pleases he

as a wild animal at its keepers. Yet he maintained his cynical politeness in part. "Mademoiselle desires my congratulations?" he said, slowly, labouring with each word it seemed. "She shall have them on the happy

broke in rudely, my passion getting the better of my fears. "M. d

lle. The day on which she receives her first congratulations-she will remember it as long as she lives! Oh, yes, I will answer for that,

e threw into those last words, the covert deadly threat they conveyed to the dullest ears. That he went then, was small mercy.

ar that we had made a dangerous enemy, and an enemy at our own gates. As the Vidame had said, these were troublous times when things were done to men-ay, and to wome

es the steward

e much good," r

d will not be back this week.

said Marie, "that

has not half a score of men here," continued the lad, shrewdly, "and counting old Gil and ourselves we have as many. And P

And so we crushed Marie.

uickly looking a different person; her f

ously, "what is the matte

of a dog, the voice of a scold, the church bell, the watchman's cry. I had only to step to the wall to overlook it all. On this summer afternoon the town had been for the most part very quiet. If we had not

of late he had shown a preference-Catherine could best account for it, perhaps-for this mean house in Caylus. It was the only house in the town which did not belong to us. It was known as the House of

street under difficulties. He was reining in his steed-no easy task on that steep greasy pavement-so as to present some front to a score or so of ragged knaves who were following close at his heels, hooting and throwing mud and pebbles at him. The m

nds with a sudden shriek of indignatio

t! It is M. de Pavannes' courier! This mus

ied swearing myself. "And in peace time too-the v

on the wall, and forming a trumpet with his hands, shrieked at t

helpless, and before I could have fetched the gun from the house, the horseman and

me. As I followed him I was nearly knocked down by the rider, whose face was covered with, dirt and blood, while fright had rendered his horse unmanageable. Darting aside I let him pass-he was blinded and could not see me-and then found that Croise

cried one, as I appeared,

ill-looking ring. "Will you set yourselves above the ki

e fell, and-thanks to God-striking the buckle of the lad's belt, glanced off harmless. I saw the steel flash up again-saw the spite in the man's eyes: but this time I was a ste

us, a line of flushed threatening faces from wall to wall. A single glance downwards told me that the man was dead, and I set my foot upon his neck. "Hounds! Beasts!" I cried, not loudly this time, for tho

f whom I knew the dead man was one-the last to go. While I still glared at them, lo! the street was empty; the last had disappeared round the bend. I turned to find Gil and ha

foot, "And hang it from the justice-elm. And then cl