Admiral thought only to give me a message; but
he afterwards wrote what he had said, in order that, should any
evil befall me by the way, one of the three men who accompanied me
should take my shoe and bring it to your majesty."

By this time he had slit open the lining of his shoe with his
knife, and handed the little piece of paper to the queen. It
contained only the words:

"All goes well. Am hoping to see you. You will find me in or near
Cognac."

There was no signature.

"You have done good service to the cause, Monsieur Fletcher," the
queen said. "How did you manage to pass south, for I hear that
every bridge and ford is guarded by the Catholics?"

Philip gave a brief account of his journey.

"You have acted prudently and well, young sir; and fully justified
the Admiral's confidence in your prudence. What are your orders
now?"

"They are simply to accompany your majesty on your way north, if it
be your pleasure to permit me to ride in your train."

"I shall do that right willingly, sir; and it will be a pleasure
for my son to hear, from your lips, a full account of your journey
hither, and something of your native land, in which it may be that
he will be, some day, compelled to take refuge."

"You shall ride by my side, Monsieur Philip," the young prince
said. "You look as if you could laugh and joke. These Huguenot
lords are brave and faithful, but they have ever serious faces."

"Hush, Henri! It is not fitting to speak so. They are brave and
good men."

"They may be that, mother, but they weary me dreadfully; and I am
sure it would be much more cheerful having this English gentleman
as my companion."

The young prince was tall for his age, active and sinewy. His
mother had brought him up as if he had been a peasant boy. As a
child he had run about barefoot and, as he grew, had spent much of
his time among the mountains, sometimes with shepherds, sometimes
engaged in the chase. Jeanne herself had a horror of the corruption
of the French court, and strove to make her son hardy and robust,
with simple tastes and appetites; and preferring exercise, hard
work, and hunter's food to the life of the town. He had practised
constantly in arms, and his mother regretted nothing so much as the
fact that, next to the king and his brothers, he stood in
succession to the French throne; and would have been far happier
that he should rule, some day, over the simple and hardy people of
Navarre.

"The first thi