The House of the Wolf: A Romance

no liking for the priest or wish to overhear his talk. His anger, however, was so patent, and the rudeness with which he treated Madame d'O so pronounced that I felt I cou

g Madame came back to me. I offered her my arm to help her over the woo

ng in the light of the lamp overhead looked into mine. Her lips were half parted, and one fair tress of hair had escaped fr

occasion, "I swear that in ten minutes, if the task I now have in ha

But it is the present I

vannes! I am pledged

M. de Pa

es

s looking at me with eyes o

and nearly frightened me to death in doing it-his wife to her ho

l, but the priest was within hearing-or barely out of it; and I had seen to

Pavannes?" she rep

replied wi

t is the matter. He went out at nightfall seeking news of his wife, and crossed the river, the Coadjutor says, t

nding all my calculations at fau

overed the fact. Now, M. de Caylus, Pavannes must be brought here before morni

upting her, "for his own too! Th

t he will only be safe, as I happen to know, here! Here, you understand! He must be brought here before daybreak, M. de Caylus. He must! He must!" she exclaimed, her beautiful features harden

and the position. I would have wished to go in and confer with Marie and Croisette; but the juncture had occurred so quickly, and it might be that time was as valuable as she said, and-well, it was har

ed, with a scornful ring in her voice. "Night! I

otly; "we Cayluses

We turn here. Now, come in with me a moment," she continued, "a

an embossed holder was burning on a chest. She took it up, and telling me to follow her led the way lightly up the stairs, and into a room, half-parlour, half-bedroom-such a room as I had never seen before. It was richly hung from ceiling to floor with blue silk, and lighted by the soft rays of lamps shaded by Venetian globes of delicate hues. The scent of cedar wood was in the air,

-of-fact way-scarcely turning, in fact. "Put it on your finger," she said hurriedly. "If you are stopped by soldiers, or if they will not give you a boat

knew what she was doing she was on her knees by me, fastening a white band of linen round my left sleeve. Then sh

ut the moment you land tear them off: Tear them off, remember. They will help you no longer. You will come back by the same boat, and will not ne

and," I sa

at this time of night, and alone with me. But remember this also. When you meet Pavannes do not say you come from me. Keep that in your mind; I will explain the rea

nd the name of the Vidame-but, however, I should see. I had more to say to him than she knew of. Meanwhile she explained very carefully the three tu

illi," she said. "And the

. "There is one thing I have

" she urged, "do not lose time. Do not mention me to Pavannes. Do not let the white badges be seen as you return. That is rea

r the stair-head with one of the lamps in her hand, and directed me how to draw the bolts. I took one backward glance as I did so at

n ace, as I supposed at least, of executing my errand. I had held the cup of success in my hand. And it had slipped. Now the conflict had to be fou

come back to me. I had a woman's badge in my cap-for the first time-the music of her voice in my ears. I had a magic ring on my finger: a talisman on my arm. My sword was at my side again. All round me lay a misty city of adventures, of danger and romance, full of the richest and most beautiful possibilities; a city of real witchery, such as I had read of

r. The silence in which in groups or singly these figures stole by me was very striking. I heard no brawling, fighting or singing; yet if it were too late for these things, why were so many people up and about? I

ll as ears I fully believed it. Something was afoot. Something was going to happen in Paris before morning. But what, I wondered. Could it be that a rebellion was about to break out? If so I was on the king's service, and all was well. I might e

count of the factor, which made possible that which was going to happen-was going to happen in Paris before daylight as surely as the sun was going to rise! I knew that the Huguenot nobles were present in the city in great numbers, but it did not occur to me that they could as a body be in danger. They were many and powerful, and as was said, in favour with the king. They w

man," and "Lorraine," as the crowd called him-he, it was rumoured, was in disgrace at court. In a word these things, to say nothing of the peaceful and joyous o

ide I put it from me as a thing impossible. For God forbid-one may speak out the truth these forty years back-God forbid, say I, that

streets by the Louvre brought me suddenly within sight of the river. Here faint moonlight bursting momentarily through the clouds was shining on the placid surface of t

closely hemmed in by houses, but unbroken as yet by the arches of the Pont Neuf which I have lived to see built. Not far from me on my right-indeed within a stone's throw-the bulky mass of the Louvre rose

e foot of them, at this point. Accordingly I walked quickly across the open space to a spot

row behind me, so as the better to cut off my retreat. I was not to succeed in my enterprise too easily then. That was clear. Still I thought it better to act as if I had not seen my follow

u want?" I said, eyeing them

e: and one of them whistled. On the instant a knot of men started out of

me, between me and the river. I had fallen into a trap. Indeed, there was nothing for it now but to do as Madame had bidden me, and play the man boldly. I had the wo

me. You do not know whom you have to deal with. Get me a boat, and let two of

nly response, and before I could add more, t

e in a matter-of-fact way, which showe

ose were striped with black, white, and green-the livery as I learned afterwards of Monsieur the King's brother, the Duke of Anjou, afterwards Henry the Third; then a close friend of the Duke of Guise

te of the breed we expected." He held his lanthorn towards me and pointed to the w

essing me. "Who are you? And why do you wish to c

the captain by the clasp of his cloak, shook him violently, and flung him off with all my force, so that he reeled. "Dog!" I exclaimed, advancing, a

, pronouncing his words abominably, and fumbling vainly for his weapo

en I cried passionately-it was my last chance, and I never wished to live more strongly than at that moment-I cried passionately, "Andrea Pallavicini, if such be your name, look at that! Look at that!" I repeated, shaking my open hand with the ring on it befor

ue! To me it was the turn of a die, for I had had no leisure to look at the ring, a

spicion at his men, of hatred at me. But I cared nothing for his glance, or his hatred. I saw already that he had made up his mind to obey the charm: and that for me was everything. "If you had shown that

. Meanwhile I stood waiting in the midst of the group, anxious and yet exultant; an object of curiosity, and

'Aumale. It is n

s the Duke's

Duk

A

bless him!" This last was u

e steps below me to be quick, when I discovered with alarm three figures moving across the open space

carcely had I spoken before I saw that it was impossible to get afloat b

t the foul fiend do you want?" he exclaimed rudely; and he rapped out half-a-dozen CORPOS before they

e was a man of about thirty, dressed with some richness, though his clothes were now

tally interrupting him, "you h

ess-a prisoner he seemed to be. "You do not understand

You may as well take things easily. You cannot cross, and you cannot go home, and you cannot have any explanation; except that

"You told me that by the King's order no one could cross; and you arrested me because, having urgent need to visit

es," the Italian retorted contempt

and at once cried out in surprise,

the honour of knowing you, but you seem to be a gentleman." He cast a withering glance at the captain as he said this. "Perha

pointed fashion of the court; and in these respects he bore a kind of likeness, a curious likeness, to Louis de Pavannes. But his figure was shorter and stouter. He was less martial in bearing,

vannes," he repli

inking-thinking. And then I said slowly

hav

o the Vicomte de Ca

red curtly. "But w

nother. As Louis had spoken of his namesake but once during his long stay with us, and I had not then foreseen the connection to be formed between our families, it was no wonder that in the course of months the chance word had passed out of my head, and I had clean forgotten the subject of it. Here however, he was before my eyes, and seeing him; I saw too what the discovery meant. It meant a most joyful thing! a most wonderful thing which I longed to tell Croisette and Marie. It meant that our Louis de Pava

e, seeing the necessity of explaining matte

ing me, with anxiety in his tone.

at your house in th

drea interrupted us. I could see that his suspicions were aroused afresh. He pushe

. Of course I did not want to cross the river now. No doubt Pav

an replied, his black eyes rovi

r. "Plague upon you for interrupting us! I shall not cross the river now. Thi

wh

those who sen

thing: so easily cast off as an over-officious servant! He goes too far-and he goes like an old glove! An old glove," I repeated grimly

beardless boy. But he faltered all the same. What I

d made, and I turned to t

ends," I said, "M.

rned on their temporary leader at my bidding. Pavannes took his sword, and placed it under his arm. We both bowed ceremoniously to Pallavicini, who scowled in response; and slowly, for I was afraid to sh

id," he said with emotion, turning and facin

, a friend of your

thank you most heartily," a

answered modestly, "on your behalf

tue of the r

rally created between us, I forgot one portion of my lady's commands and I added impulsively, "All I

asked, grasping my arm

eated. It was too l

a strange low whisper. "Is it p

t. "Yes, M. de Pavannes," I replied, offended and indignant, "It is so far possible that it is the truth; and more, I think you would not so spea

erly. "Then where

he Rue Platriere. Do you know him? You do. Well, she was kept th

s doubt and wonder in his tone when he spoke. "Mirepoix the glover," he murmured. "He

is wonder was misplaced, I thought; and time was passing. "Madame d'O found out where she was," I continued, "a

you to fetch me?"

angrily. "She di

ere is a trap laid for me! She is the worst, the most wicked, the vilest of women! If she sent y