als of the Nazarene. But they suited a
warring Church, and Henry of Navarre only voiced what was the feeling of
all, from D'Aubigne the warrior to the pastor who sat in a corner by
himself, thumbing his little Geneva Bible. There was no truce in this
war. The League or the Bearnais! Either of the two must rule France. The
present king, Henry of Valois, was a merry, sulky, careless, deceitful,
kindly, cruel cipher--the "man-woman," as they named him, the
"gamin"-king. He laughed and jested--till he could safely thrust his
dagger into his enemy's back. But as for his country, he could no more
govern it than a puppet worked by strings.

"And this girl?" said the King, "is she of her father's brood, strong
for the religion, and so forth?"

"She is young and innocent--and very fair!"

The eyes of the Fool of the Three Henries met those of the Bearnais
boldly, and the outlooking black eyes flinched before them.

"These Scottish maids are not as ours," said the King, perhaps in order
to say something, "yet I think she was with her father in my camp, and
shared his dangers."

"To the last she held up his dying head!" said Jean-aux-Choux. And quite
unexpectedly to himself, his eyes were moist.

"And where at this moment is Francis Agnew's daughter?" said the King.
Then he added, without apparent connexion, "He was my friend!"

But his intimates understood the word, and so, though a poor fool, did
Jean-aux-Choux. Instinctively he held out his hand, as he would have
done to a brother-Scot of his degree.

The King clasped it heartily, and those who were nearest noticed that
his eyes also had a shine in them.

"What a man!" whispered D'Aubigne to his nearest neighbour. "Sometimes
we of the Faith are angry with him, and then, with a pat on the cheek,
or a laugh, we are his children again. Or he is ours, I know not which!
Guise shakes hands all day long to make his dukeship popular, but in
spite of himself his lip curls as if he touched a loathsome thing.
Valois presents his hand to be kissed as if it belonged to some one
else. But our Bearnais--one would think he never had but one friend in
the world, and----"

"That this Scots fool is the man!"

"Hush," whispered D'Aubigne, "he is no fool, this fellow. He was of my
acquaintance at Geneva. In his youth he knew John Calvin, and learned
in the school of Beza. The King does well to attach him! Listen!"

Jean-aux-Choux was certainly giving the King his money's-worth. Henry