from the streets
of Montargis, "I can now tell you the mission which the Admiral has
done me the honour to confide to me. It was thought best to keep
the matter an absolute secret, until we were thus fairly on our
way; because, although we hope and believe that there is not a man
at Chatillon who is not to be trusted, there may possibly be a spy
of the Guises there, and it would have been wrong to run the risk
of betrayal.

"Well, my friends, our object is the capture of Orleans."

An exclamation of surprise broke from many of his hearers.

"It seems a bold enterprise to undertake, with but little over two
hundred men," La Noue went on with a smile; "but we have friends
there. D'Andelot has been, for the last ten days, in communication
with one of them. We may, of course, expect to meet with a stout
resistance but, with the advantage of a surprise, and with so many
gallant gentlemen with me, I have no shadow of fear as to the
result. I need not point out to you how important its possession
will be to us. It will keep open a road to the south; will afford a
rallying place for all our friends, in this part of France; and the
news of its capture will give immense encouragement to our
co-religionists throughout the country. Besides, it will
counterbalance the failure to seize the court, and will serve as an
example, to others, to attempt to obtain possession of strong
places.

"We shall ride at an easy pace today, for the distance is long and
the country hilly. We could not hope to arrive there until too late
to finish our work before dark. Moreover, most of our horses have
already had very hard work during the past few days. We have
started early, in order that we may have a halt of four hours in
the middle of the day. We are to be met tonight by our friend, the
Master of Grelot, five miles this side of the city. He will tell us
what arrangements have been made for facilitating our entrance."

"This is a glorious undertaking, Philip, is it not?" Francois said.
"Until now I have been thinking how unfortunate we were, in being
too late to ride with Conde. Now I see that what I thought was a
loss has turned out a gain."

"You do not think Conde will be able to do anything against Paris?"
Philip asked.

"Certainly not at present. What can some fifteen hundred horsemen
and as many infantry (and he will have no more force than that, for
another three or four days) do against Paris with its walls and its
armed populati