rl's confidence.
What! had she not found out that the young villain had been on the point
of eloping with her? If such a thing as that should succeed, the whole
family was lost, and she was the only person who could prevent it. He
trusted to her.

The Chevalier had evidently come to regard his niece as his son's lawful
property, and the Baron as the troublesome meddler; and Diane had much
the same feeling, enhanced by sore jealousy at Eustacie's triumph over
her, and curiosity as to whether it could be indeed well founded. She
had an opportunity of judging the same evening--mere habit always caused
Eustacie to keep under her wing, if she could not be near the Queen,
whenever there was a reception, and to that reception of course Berenger
came, armed with his right as gentleman of the bedchamber. Eustacie was
colouring and fluttering, as if by the instinct of his presence, even
before the tall fair head became visible, moving forward as well as the
crowd would permit, and seeking about with anxious eyes. The glances
of the blue and the black eyes met at last, and a satisfied radiance
illuminated each young face; then the young man steered his way through
the throng, but was caught midway by Coligny, and led up to be presented
to a hook-nosed, dark-haired, lively-looking young man, in a suit of
black richly laced with silver. It was the King of Navarre, the royal
bridegroom, who had entered Paris in state that afternoon. Eustacie
tried to be proud of the preferment, but oh! she thought it mistimed,
and was gratified to mark certain wandering of the eye even while the
gracious King was speaking. Then the Admiral said something that brought
the girlish rosy flush up to the very roots of the short curls of flaxen
hair, and made the young King's white teeth flash out in a mirthful,
good-natured laugh, and thereupon the way opened, and Berenger was
beside the two ladies, kissing Eustacie's hand, but merely bowing to
Diane.

She was ready to take the initiative.

'My cousins deem me unpardonable,' she said; 'yet I am going to purchase
their pardon. See this cabinet of porcelain _a le Reine_, and Italian
vases and gems, behind this curtain. There is all the siege of Troy,
which M. le Baron will not doubt explain to Mademoiselle, while I shall
sit on this cushion, and endure the siege of St. Quentin from the _bon_
Sieur de Selinville.'

Monsieur de Selinville was the court bore, who had been in every battle
from Pavia to Mon