her. Come in, girls!
I have much to tell you."

She rose, and threw her arms about the neck of her sister-in-law,
Catherine of Navarre. She had entered, flushed, walking so fast that her
slight D'Albret limp was not noticeable.

"Oh, we three," cried the Queen Margot--"we three were as Juno, Minerva,
and Venus. The men stood round, and gazed and listened, and listened and
gazed, each like a stupid Paris with a golden apple in his hand, a prize
of beauty which he wanted to give to all three at once. You, Katrin my
sister, were the grey-eyed Minerva; you, Claire, must be Juno--though,
my faith, you are more of the mould of Dian; but as for me--of course,
that is obvious! And the defeated enemy--the maids of honour! Ha! Did
you see how the Queen, my mother, called them in to heel, like so many
useless hounds of the chase, to receive their whipping? How they cowered
and cringed! Truly, the game was carried off by another pack--a buck--a
buck royal of ten tines is the Bearnais. We had a plot indeed--but no
treaty. Pricked like a wind-bladder it was. If I am a feeble house-wife,
I am at least a true ambassador, and they shall not cheat my
husband--not while little Margot lives, last of the Valois and half
Medici though she be! To bed, girls, and get your beauty-sleep. You will
need it to-morrow!"

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE APOSTLE OF PEACE

"She may be a witch, and the daughter of Jezebel," murmured D'Aubigne
low to Rosny, "but this time, of a verity, she has snatched the
chestnuts out of the fire for us!"

"I would she were safe back again in Auvergne," said Rosny; "our Henry
is never himself when he gets among that crew."

The two Huguenot chiefs spoke truly. There was no doubt that the Queen
of Navarre had outwitted her mother, and strengthened the warlike
resolutions of the Bearnais, so that he refused all art or part in the
gathering of the States-General at Blois.

Catherine, the Queen-Mother, had to depart ill-satisfied enough. The
little town of Argenton dropped back again into its year-long quiet.
Gallantly Henry escorted his wife part of the way to her castle of
Usson, and so far, at least, husband and wife were reconciled. As for
the Princess Catherine, she was sent off with a guard of gentlemen to
Nerac, while once more in Blois the house of Madame Granier, close to
the hostelry of Anthony Arpajon, was occupied by its trio of guests. At
least, Claire and the Professor abode continually there, and took