id Berenger, anxious to retract his
false step. 'It was your goodness and the gracious Queen's that made me
hope for your sanction.'

'All the sanction Charles de Valois can give is yours, and welcome,'
said the King, hastily. 'The sanction of the King of France is another
matter! To say the truth, I see no way out of the affair but
an elopement.' 'Sire!' exclaimed the astonished Berenger, whose
strictly-disciplined education had little prepared him for such counsel.

'Look you! if I made you known as a wedded pair, the Chevalier and
his son would not only assassinate you, but down on me would come my
brother, and my mother, and M. de Guise and all their crew, veritably
for giving the prize out of the mouth of their satellite, but nominally
for disregarding the Pope, favouring a heretical marriage, and I know
not what, but, as things go here, I should assuredly get the worst of
it; and if you made safely off with your prize, no one could gainsay
you--I need know nothing about it--and lady and lands would be your
without dispute. You might ride off from the skirts of the forest; I
would lead the hunt that way, and the three days' riding would bring you
to Normady, for you had best cross to England immediately. When she is
one there, owned by your kindred, Monsieur le cousin may gnash his teeth
as he will, he must make the best of it for the sake of the honour of
his house, and you can safely come back and raise her people and yours
to follow the Oriflamme when it takes the field against Spain. What! you
are still discontented? Speak out! Plain speaking is a treat not often
reserved for me.'

'Sire, I am most grateful for your kindness, but I should greatly prefer
going straightforward.'

'Peste! Well is it said that a blundering Englishman goes always right
before him! There, then! As your King on the one hand, as the friend who
has brought you and your wife together, sir, it is my command that you
do not compromise me and embroil greater matters than you can understand
by publicly claiming this girl. Privately I will aid you to the best of
my ability; publicly, I command you, for my sake, if you heed not your
own, to be silent!'

Berenger sought out Sidney, who smiled at his surprise.

'Do you not see,' he said, 'that the King is your friend, and would be
very glad to save the lady's lands from the Guisards, but that he cannot
say so; he can only befriend a Huguenot by stealth.'

'I would not be such a king for