re we here to sing anthems to the glory of heretics," said the
Connetable, brutally.

"No, but to bring them to repentance," whispered the Cardinal de
Lorraine in his ear; "we want to coax them by a little sugar."

"Do you know what I should have done under the late king?" said the
Connetable, angrily. "I'd have called in the provost and hung those two
knaves, then and there, on the gallows of the Louvre."

"Well, gentlemen, who are the learned men whom you have selected as our
opponents?" inquired the queen, imposing silence on the Connetable by a
look.

"Duplessis-Mornay and Theodore de Beze will speak on our side," replied
Chaudieu.

"The court will doubtless go to Saint-Germain, and as it would be
improper that this _colloquy_ should take place in a royal residence, we
will have it in the little town of Poissy," said Catherine.

"Shall we be safe there, madame?" asked Chaudieu.

"Ah!" replied the queen, with a sort of naivete, "you will surely know
how to take precautions. The Admiral will arrange all that with my
cousins the Guises and de Montmorency."

"The devil take them!" cried the Connetable, "I'll have nothing to do
with it."

"How do you contrive to give such strength of character to your
converts?" said the queen, leading Chaudieu apart. "The son of my
furrier was actually sublime."

"We have faith," replied Chaudieu.

At this moment the hall presented a scene of animated groups, all
discussing the question of the proposed assembly, to which the few
words said by the queen had already given the name of the "Colloquy
of Poissy." Catherine glanced at Chaudieu and was able to say to him
unheard:--

"Yes, a new faith!"

"Ah, madame, if you were not blinded by your alliance with the court of
Rome, you would see that we are returning to the true doctrines of Jesus
Christ, who, recognizing the equality of souls, bestows upon all men
equal rights on earth."

"Do you think yourself the equal of Calvin?" asked the queen, shrewdly.
"No, no; we are equals only in church. What! would you unbind the tie of
the people to the throne?" she cried. "Then you are not only heretics,
you are revolutionists,--rebels against obedience to the king as you
are against that to the Pope!" So saying, she left Chaudieu abruptly and
returned to Theodore de Beze. "I count on you, monsieur," she said, "to
conduct this colloquy in good faith. Take all the time you need."

"I had supposed," said Chaudieu to the Prince de C