The House of the Wolf: A Romance

lley; and easing our horses on the ascent, turned in the saddle to take a last look at Caylus-at the huddled grey town

wide glades in the sparse oak forest, where the trees all leaned one way, now over bare, wind-swept downs; or once and again de

ver the Vallandre Bridge, which there crosses the Lot, and so to my uncle's house of call in

f you had arrived yesterday you could have travelled up with the Vidame de Bezers

alf-a-dozen attendants also!" I answer

ows would join him at Chateauroux. They say the wars are over, but"-and the good man, shrugging his shoulders, cast an expressive glance at some fine flitches of bacon which were hangin

try, that we did not stay to assent to it; but having received from the worthy fellow a token which would insure o

emed to point to a wider scheme than the one with which we had credited him. But we could not guess what his plans were; since he must have ordered his people before he heard of Catherine's engagement. E

gipsies, or a pair of strollers from Valencia-JONGLEURS they still called themselves-singing in the old dialect of Provence, or a Norman horse-dealer with his string of cattle tied head and tail,

g "To-day or to-morrow or the next day-" as the case might be-"we shall make all right for Kit!" For Kit! Per

hich were being held to mark the royal marriage. We obtained horses where we needed them without difficulty. And though we had

of one hope we had formed. We had thought that Bezers when joined there by his troopers would not be able to get relays; and that on this account we might by travelling post overtake him; and possibly slip by him between that place and Paris. But we learned at Chateauroux that his troop had received fresh orders to go t

ollowing meekly. We stood a moment stamping our feet, and stretching our legs. The place seemed in a bustle, the clatter of pans and dishes proceeding from the windows over the entrance, with a glow of light and the sound of feet hurrying in the pas

, and thinking our rustic servant had fallen into trouble, we walked across to the stabl

Jean answered querulously, scratching his head; h

t needed but half an eye to see that his fellows were inclined to back him up. He stuck his arms akimbo and faced us with an impu

re large, and your horses cannot fill

ile one jeered "VIVE LE ROI!" and the rest laughed.

s seldom condescended to interfere. "Let the fellows fight it out," was the general sentimen

wished to have a repetition of the catastrophe which had happened at Caylus. "These horses belong to the Vicomte de Cayl

ut the spokesman's only answer aloud was "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" he repeated, flapping his arms in defiance. "H

you brutes!" cried a shrill voice above us in the clouds it seemed. I looked up, and saw two girls, coarse and handsome, standing

child. "Come here," I said, beckoning to the man in the doorway. "Come here, you

e a little as I measured him. But the thing had to be done. If I was slight, I was wiry as a hound, and in the

e girl gaily-yet half in pity, I th

enter the ring as his mates were to form it. But before I could try his mettle, a hand was laid on my shoulder. A man appea

hands with the knave, master. I am pining for work and the job will just

is bonnet was broken, but he wore it in a rakish fashion; and altogether he swaggered with so dare-devil an air, clinking his

n his left hand flash round his head. "Who is for the game? Who will strike a blow for the little Admiral? Will you come one, two, three at

man, sulkily; making no show of drawing

about the truth, I fancy!" was the smart retort; which our champion render

"Bah, the great pig!" ejaculated the girl above. "Spit him!" and

ng up and making his sword play round the shrinking wretch. "Just a tit-bit,

" the girl cried, amid

warrant him tende

she stolidly

and down against the wall. There the bully remained, swearing and rubbing himself by turns; while the victor cried boastfully, "Enough of him. If anyone wants to take up his quarrel, Blaise Bure is his man. If not, let us have an end of it.

stained, and almost pointless, He swaggered inimitably, and had led-captain written large upon him. But he had done us a service, for J

spectfully enough, but as one asse

mewhat astonished, "D

ntlemen," he replied. "White dust,

ation. "You must have been broug

he replied, grinning. And that answer

, also?" I asked, as

omething like a wink of confidence on us, he drew himself up, looked sternly at the stable-folk, patted himself

was not so. After listening with gratification to our repeated thanks, he bowed

t homme

s cause et

rs baise s

de mal ce p

nd a simmering of excitement also in his manner. "From Paris, my lor

ed. "From Orleans, and hun

n. "Then I dare swear, my lords, you have not heard the news?" He halted in the narrow passage, and lifting

ad told him, hungry. "We have heard none, and the best you

l his news. "The Admiral de Coligny," he said, breath

t?" I inquired rapidly.

ly grave. Her second, to support the royal power by balancing the extreme Catholics against the Huguenots. For the latter purpose she would coquet first with one party, then with the other. At the present moment she had committed herself more deeply than was her wont to the Huguenots. Their leaders, the Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the King of

ing, which threatened Catharine de' Medici herself. The admiral, therefore, to whom the Huguenot half of France had long looked as to its leader, was now the object of the closest interest to all

faith, and the other side-had heard much of him, and much good. The Vicomte had spoken of him always as a great man, a man mist

y," the man declared with bated breath. "It is not known whether he will

as dared to do this? He had a sa

shoulders instead, he opened the door

e age; richly but simply dressed. His grey hair, cut short about a massive head, and his grave, resolute face, square-jawed

hat his sword and belt were propped against a chair at his elbow, and a dag, apparently loaded, lay close to his

eat and famous and enjoying the king's special favour still went in Paris in danger of his life, what must be the risk that such an one as Pavannes ran? We had hop

and seemed to be regarding us with some curiosity. At length he spoke. "Are y

affirmative. "To-mo

azing abstractedly at the table; and what with our meal, and our own talk we had almost forgotten

ort at another table close by, I guessed that he merely wished to make a private communicatio

sser l'

ut of it. St. Croix wrinkled his brow over it with the s

anger continued, as he put the s

ad all risen out of respect to him, and

"It is nothing. Go your way. But-I have a son yonder not much younger than you, young gentlemen. And

ched his sleeve. "Pray can you tell us if it be true," the lad s

ern look failed him, "It is true, my boy," he added with an air of strange solemnity. "Whom the Lord

t he turned from him now with a queer, excited gesture, thumping his gold-headed cane on the floor. He called his servants in a lou

saluted me respectfully; and this, since it was clear that he did not respect many people, inclined me to regard him with favour. It is always so, the more

his head and a dag by his candle-well, my lord, there would be one more king in France-or one less! But they are a blind lot: as bli

, half arrogant. "I have a small favour to ask of you then," he said. "I am going to Paris myself. I am not afraid of odds, as you have seen.

said. "But we start in half-an

escence, "And I have known that from my breeching. If you want a game at PAUME

me that our swashbuckling friend might help us if he would. "Do you kno

e Pavannes?

es

gings in town a while ago, before-Ah! I do know! I remember," he added, slapping his thigh, "when I was

we want to dismount there, if you

company. Paris is a queer place when there is trouble to the fore,

as some time before we could find a smith. Then at Etampes, where we stopped to lunch, we were kept an unconscionable time waiting for it. And so we approached Paris for the first time at sunset. A ruddy glow was at the moment warming the eastern heights, and picking out with flame the twin towers of Notre

ts. Women screamed to one another from window to window. The bells of half-a-dozen churches rang the curfew. Our country ears were deafened. Still our eyes had leisure to take in the tall houses with their high-pitched roofs

nd chattering to one another, disdainfully unconscious of the people about them, or the remarks they excited. Their graceful bearing and the richness of their dress and equipm

uttered a savage oath; uncalled for so far as I could see. But my attention was arrested the next moment

were crossing the street in which we stood, and I had only a side view of them; or rather of the nearer rider. He was a singularly handsome man, in age about twenty-two o

ed Croisette, "that that was

n to move again, the crowd mel

farther man!"

. de Pavannes by sight, laughed at the idea. "Your friend," he said, "is a wider man than that!" And I thought he was right there-but then it might be the cut of the clothes. "They have been at the Louvr

o a short one; and here Bure drew rein and rapped loudly at some heavy gates. It was so dark that when, these being opened, he led the way into a courtyard, we could see little more than a tall, sharp-g

ger, made us forget all our exertions, our fatigue and stiffness. Gladly throwing the bridles

uide, without pausing, led us to a small room lighted by a hanging lamp. "I will inform M. de Pavannes of your arrival," he said respectfully, and pa

ly. I tried to flip some of the dust from my boot

h Croisette, laughing-a little shyly,

as friendly as Kit's lover. And I was still thinking of this without having settled the point to my satisfaction, when the curtain was thrust aside again. A very tall man, wearing a splendid suit of black and silver and a stiff trencher-like ruff, came qu

us-and never had the cast been so apparent