at he had to hope
or fear about his wife's illness. He had hardly arrived there when the
assault on the Huguenots was signalised by the attack on admiral de
Chatillon. Two days later came the disgraceful massacre, now so well
known throughout Europe.

The poor Comte de Chabannes who had gone to hide himself away in one of
the outer suburbs of Paris to abandon himself to his misery was caught
up in the ruin of the Huguenots. The people to whose house he had
retired, having recognised him, and having recalled that he had once
been suspected of being of that persuasion, murdered him on the same
night which was fatal to so many people. The next day the Prince de
Montpensier, who was in that area on duty, passed along the street
where the body of the Comte lay. He was at first shocked by this
pitiful sight and, recalling his past friendship, was grieved; but then
the memory of the offence, which he believed the Comte had committed,
made him feel pleased that he had been avenged by the hand of chance.

The Duc de Guise who had used the opportunity of the massacre to take
ample revenge for the death of his father, gradually took less and less
interest in the condition of the Princess of Montpensier; and having
met the Marquise de Noirmoutier, a woman of wit and beauty, and one who
promised more than the Princess de Montpensier, he attached himself to
her, an attachment which lasted a lifetime.

The Princess's illness reached a crisis and then began to remit. She
recovered her senses and was somewhat relieved by the absence of her
husband. She was expected to live, but her health recovered very slowly
because of her low spirits, which were further depressed by the
realisation that she had received no news of the Duc de Guise during
all her illness. She asked her women if they had not seen anyone, if
they had not had any letters, and finding that there had been nothing,
she saw herself as the most wretched of women, one who had risked all
for a man who had abandoned her. A fresh blow was the news of the death
of the Comte de Chabannes, which her husband made sure she heard about
as soon as possible. The ingratitude of the Duc de Guise made her feel
even more deeply the loss of a man whose fidelity she knew so well.
These disappointments weighed heavily upon her and reduced her to a
state as serious as that from which she had recently recovered. Madame
de Noirmoutier was a woman who took as much care to publicise her
affairs a