on of well-being
which comes to a wounded man when on his return to consciousness he
finds coolness instead of burning heat, and the perfumes of balsams
instead of the nauseating odor of blood.

He muttered some disconnected words, to which Marguerite replied with a
smile, placing her finger on her lips.

At this moment several raps on the door were heard.

"Some one knocks at the secret passage," said Marguerite.

"Who can be coming, madame?" asked Gillonne, in a panic.

"I will go and see who it is," said Marguerite; "remain here, and do not
leave him for a single instant."

Marguerite went into the chamber, and closing the closet door, opened
that of the passage which led to the King's and queen mother's
apartments.

"Madame de Sauve!" she exclaimed, suddenly drawing back with an
expression which resembled hatred, if not terror, so true it is that a
woman never forgives another for taking from her even a man whom she
does not love,--"Madame de Sauve!"

"Yes, your majesty!" she replied, clasping her hands.

"You here, madame?" exclaimed Marguerite, more and more surprised, while
at the same time her voice grew more and more imperative.

Charlotte fell on her knees.

"Madame," she said, "pardon me! I know how guilty I am toward you; but
if you knew--the fault is not wholly mine; an express command of the
queen mother"--

"Rise!" said Marguerite, "and as I do not suppose you have come with the
intention of justifying yourself to me, tell me why you have come at
all."

"I have come, madame," said Charlotte, still on her knees, and with a
look of wild alarm, "I came to ask you if he were not here?"

"Here! who?--of whom are you speaking, madame? for I really do not
understand."

"Of the king!"

"Of the king? What, do you follow him to my apartments? You know very
well that he never comes here."

"Ah, madame!" continued the Baronne de Sauve, without replying to these
attacks, or even seeming to comprehend them, "ah, would to Heaven he
were here!"

"And why so?"

"Eh, _mon Dieu_! madame, because they are murdering the Huguenots, and
the King of Navarre is the chief of the Huguenots."

"Oh!" cried Marguerite, seizing Madame de Sauve by the hand, and
compelling her to rise; "ah! I had forgotten; besides, I did not think a
king could run the same dangers as other men."

"More, madame,--a thousand times more!" cried Charlotte.

"In fact, Madame de Lorraine had warned me; I had begged him not to
le