yesterday evening when you promised faithful service to her majesty, and
I feel that if such service is needed you will be ready to render it."

"I shall indeed, your eminence. I cannot conceive that any circumstances
can occur that would render such aid as I could offer of service to you,
but be assured that should such an occasion arise, the queen may count
upon me to render it to the extent of my life; and when I say the
queen I, of course, include your eminence as her trusted adviser and
supporter."

"Well spoken, sir. I believe your words, and it may be that the occasion
is not so far distant as you may imagine. Here is the box, sir. By the
way, it will, I am sure, be a pleasure for you to know that her majesty
has the intention of creating the Viscount de Turenne field marshal as
soon as he arrives in Paris."

"It is indeed, monseigneur; never did a soldier better earn such honour.
There, indeed sir, is a true and noble heart, loyal to his duty beyond
all things, adored by his soldiers, ready to serve under officers
altogether inferior to himself, incapable of jealousy, and devoted to
his sovereign and his country."

"You do not speak too warmly of him," the cardinal said; "and among all
the difficulties of the situation there seems to be but one fixed
point, and that point is that upon Monsieur de Turenne we can at least
confidently rely."

Hector felt that his audience was at an end, and taking the box from the
table, and again thanking the cardinal for the honour bestowed upon him,
he retired. The cardinal's chamberlain met him at the door. "Will you
step in here, monsieur le baron?" he said, and led the way into a small
apartment. "As a stranger to the court, monsieur, you are probably
unaware of the value of the gift that has been granted to you, or of its
duties and obligations."

"Altogether, sir; beyond the fact that it is in Poitou, which her
majesty mentioned yesterday, I know absolutely nothing about it."

"Without being an estate of the first class," the chamberlain said, "it
is one which is of importance in its province. The revenue is punctually
paid and is amply sufficient to enable its lord to make a good figure at
court, and to rank among the notables in the province. It is a fief held
directly from the crown; its owner is bound to furnish feudal service
of twenty-five mounted men and twenty-five arquebusiers, or, should he
prefer it, fifty horsemen in all. Some of its owners have in time