over in my conscience, how I could answer."

"There could be but one answer, Jacques; though no doubt it would
have cost us our lives."

"I should not deny my faith, even to save my life, sir, if the
question were put to me: 'Are you a Huguenot?' But I think that
when four lives are at stake, it is lawful to take any opening
there may be to get out of it."

"But how would there have been an opening, Jacques?"

"Well, sir, you see, if he had asked, 'Are you Huguenots?' I think
I could have said 'No,' with a clear conscience, seeing that you
are an Englishman. Your religion may be like ours, but you are not
a Huguenot; and although Pierre does not seem to me to have quite
made up his mind as to what he is, assuredly I should not call him
a Huguenot. So you see, sir, that as only two out of the four are
Huguenots, there would have been no lie to my saying 'no' to that
question. But if he had said 'Are you Catholics?' I must have
answered 'No,' seeing that none of us go to mass."

"It is a nice question," Philip said; "but seeing that the
Catholics never keep their oaths and their promises to what they
call heretics, I think that one would be justified, not in telling
a lie, for nothing can justify that, but in availing one's self of
a loophole such as one would scorn to use, to others. I should be
sorry to have the question asked me, though seeing I am not myself
a Huguenot, although I am fighting with them, I think that I could
reply 'no;' especially as it is not a question of my own life only,
but one involving the whole cause of the Huguenots.

"If I were in your place, I don't know that I should do so; but as
you say that you could do it, without your conscience pricking you,
I certainly should not put pressure upon you to say 'yes.' However,
I hope you may never be asked the question, and that we shall meet
with no more interruptions until we get to Nerac There can be
little doubt that, at present, the Catholics have received no
orders to seize the queen and her son at Nerac; although they have
orders to prevent her, at all costs, from going forward to Paris
except under escort; and are keeping a sharp lookout, to prevent
her from being joined by parties of Huguenots who would render her
force formidable.

"I should hope that, by this time, we are past the last of their
bands. Those we met just now doubtless belonged to the force
gathered in Bazas; and it is in the direction of the north, rather
than the we