The House of the Wolf: A Romance

-by a blow. And this of M. de Pavannes was one of these. If there had been any one present, I think I should have given him the lie and drawn upon him. But alon

silent and stupefied, waiting to

it would avail nothing. Not Madame de Sauves is better known. And I would not if I could! I know well, though my wife will not believe it, that there is nothing so near Madame d'O's heart as to g

seemed so much more dreadful in the silence and gloom-and withal so much less preposterous than

red into my face. "Did you see a priest with her?" he ask

ion of feeling, born of his manner-that I had.

It is impossible. She would be more likely to save her from danger than to-umph! wait a minute." I did: I waited, dreading what he might discover, until he mutte

ity of wickedness such as I could never have suspected of myself. I remembered Mirepoix's distress and the priest's eagerness. I re-called the gruff warning Bezers-even Bezers, and there was something very odd in Bezers giving a warning!-had given Madame de Pavannes when he told her that she w

before midnight

ening?" I replied quickly. "Why, even

old him what I had noticed in the streets, and the hints I had hea

He drew me on in a kind of fury to a house in the windows of

d, "let me see the

ignet, with one curious characteristic: it had two facets. On one of these was engraved

wall in sudden despair. "It is the Duke of Guis

the Parisian populace, and I understood now why the citizen soldiers had s

rrow night there will not be one left in Paris, lad. Guise has his father's death to avenge, and these cursed Parisians will do hi

it marched some way with my own suspicions, outran them far! I saw no sufficient groun

hates us. And the river. Why are we not to cross the river? The King indeed! The King has undone us. He has sold us to his brother and the Guises. VA CHASSER L'IDOLE" for the second time I heard the quaint phrase, which I learned afterwards was an anagram of

times he was an unready man, I fancy, more fit, courage apart, for the college than the field; and now he gave way to despair. Perhaps the thou

as to tear into two parts a white handkerchief I had in my pouch, and fasten one t

telling tales from old poets. Yet I doubted, shuddering as I did so. Her companionship with that vile priest, her strange eagerness to secure Pavannes' return, her mysterious directions to me, her anxiety to take her sister home-home, where she would be exposed to danger, as being in a known Huguenot's house-the

f Kit's lover. We had small chance now of reaching him in time, misled as we had been by this miserable mistake in identity. If my companion's fears were well founded, Louis would fall in the general massacre of the Huguenots, probably before we could reach him. If ill-founded, still we had small reason to hope. Bezers' vengeance would n

k streets about us the night still reigned. Yes, the morning was coming, bright and hopeful, and the city was quiet. There were no signs, no sounds of riot or di

ound in the night! It was somewhere near us, and I stopped. I had been speaki

tening intently. "See! See! Ah, heavens!" he con

him what this meant, before indeed, we could speak or stir from the spot, or think what we should do, with a hurried clang and clash, as if brought into motion by furious frenzied hands, a great bell just above our heads began to boom and

d, looking upwards with bent shoulders and scared faces. "What is it? W

e shouted in answer. "The Church of the

as if rebounding from the momentary shock. "Never! We wear the devil's livery, and he will look after hi

pursued by the din and clangour of the bell-and then a short distance along a third. We were not stopped or addressed by anyone, though numbers, increasing each moment as door after door opened, and we drew nearer to the heart of the commotion, were hurrying in

, of the big, wondering eyes of a child held up to see us pass, of a Christ at a corner ruddy in the smoky glare of a link, of a woman armed, and in man's clothes, who walked some distance side by side with us, and led off a riba

the street, which was already full to overflowing; and so sought with hungry eyes for places whence they might look down it. Pavannes and I struggled only to get through the

ing one way, all looking upward; and the noise, as from time to time this immense crowd groaned or howled in unison, like a wild beast in its fury, was so appalling, that I clutched Pavannes' arm and clung to him in momentary terr

passing within the gates. They were handsomely dressed, although some wore corslets over their satin coats or lace above buff jerkins. I could even at that distance see the jewels gleam in the bonnet of one who seemed to be their leader. He was in the centr

d with horror and rage. I had a vision of grey hairs and blood and fury scarcely human, And I rebelled. I battled with the rabble about me. I forced my way through them tooth and nail after Pavannes, int

e flood of sounds which poured from every tower and steeple. From the eastward came the rattle of drums and random shots, and shrieks of "A BAS COLIGNY!" "A BAS LES HUGUENOTS!" Meanwhile the city was rising as one man, pale at this dread awakenin

led him like a dog. He was an old man and they did not spare him! A noble, and they have called in the CANAILLE to tear him. But be sure, my friend"-and as the speaker's tone changed and grew full and prou

ty-five-when Henry of Guise and Henry of Valois died within six months of one another by the assassin's knife-I remembered Pavannes' augury. And remembering it, I read the ways of Providence, and saw that the very audacity of which Guise took advantage to entrap Coligny led him too

I would not agree to this. The priest's crew of desperadoes-assuming Pavannes' suspicions to be correct-would wait some time, no doubt, to give the master of the house a chance to return, but would certainly attack sooner or later out of greed, if from no other motive. Then the lady's fate would at the best be uncertain. I was anxious myself to rejoin my brothers, and take all future chances, whether of saving our Louis, or escaping o

the back," he answe

are w

We could not break out in the t

it, and he agreed to it. As he nodded assent we emerged into a street, and I saw-for the grey light of morning was beginning to penetrate between the houses-that we were

d. But we were not molested. The street, being at some distance from the centre of the commotion, was still and empty, with no signs of life apparent except the rows of heads poked through the windows-all possessing eyes

uder! never mind the noise. The alarm is given. A score of people

nticipation that drove me wild. Those men and women gazing on us so stonily knew my companion's rank and faith. They had watched him riding in and out daily, one of the sights of their street, gay and gallant;

bringing him back to this part of the town where every soul knew him? "K

en it opened. A servant with a pale face stood before me,

traightway into o

," I cried

again and nothing matters, But oh, Anne, where have you been? And what

uis de Pavannes' marriage explained, were so great that they swallowed up all other feelings. He could not say enough about it. He pictured Louis again and again as Kit's lover, as our old friend, our companion; as true, staunch, brave without fear, without reproach: and it was l

No, we will not give up hope! We will go shoulder to shoulder and find him. Louis is as brave as

. The cold light, faint and uncertain yet, was stealing into the court, disclosing a row of stables on either sid

however. "Yes," I sai

n her danger and distress? How could we return her kindness by desertion? We could not. No, not for Kit's sake.

s talking for the sake of talking-to keep up our spirits-and I did not attend much to him; so that he had not reached the gist of it, or at least I had not grasped it, when a

mine as I stood waiting by the gates. I have said I scarcely saw the figure, though I did see the kind timid eyes, and the pale cheeks under the