who was determined to compel the
prince to express his whole thought.

"Yes; your liberty! You will now be separated from the King of Navarre."

"Separated!" said Marguerite, fastening her eyes on the young prince.

The Duc d'Alencon tried to endure his sister's look, but his eyes soon
avoided hers with embarrassment.

"Separated!" repeated Marguerite; "let us talk this over, brother, for I
should like to understand all you mean, and how you propose to separate
us."

"Why," murmured the duke, "Henry is a Huguenot."

"No doubt; but he made no secret of his religion, and that was known
when we were married."

"Yes; but since your marriage, sister," asked the duke, involuntarily
allowing a ray of joy to shine upon his face, "what has Henry been
doing?"

"Why, you know better than any one, Francois, for he has spent his days
almost constantly in your society, either hunting or playing mall or
tennis."

"Yes, his days, no doubt," replied the duke; "his days--but his nights?"

Marguerite was silent; it was now her turn to cast down her eyes.

"His nights," persisted the Duc d'Alencon, "his nights?"

"Well?" inquired Marguerite, feeling that it was requisite that she
should say something in reply.

"Well, he has been spending them with Madame de Sauve!"

"How do you know that?" exclaimed Marguerite.

"I know it because I have an interest in knowing it," replied the young
prince, growing pale and picking the embroidery of his sleeves.

Marguerite began to understand what Catharine had whispered to Charles,
but pretended to remain in ignorance.

"Why do you tell me this, brother?" she replied, with a well-affected
air of melancholy; "was it to remind me that no one here loves me or
takes my part, neither those whom nature gave me as protectors nor the
man whom the Church gave me as my husband?"

"You are unjust," said the Duc d'Alencon, drawing his armchair still
nearer to his sister, "I love you and protect you!"

"Brother," said Marguerite, looking at him sharply, "have you anything
to say to me from the queen mother?"

"I! you mistake, sister. I swear to you--what can make you think that?"

"What can make me think that?--why, because you are breaking off the
intimacy that binds you to my husband, because you are abandoning the
cause of the King of Navarre."

"The cause of the King of Navarre!" replied the Duc d'Alencon, wholly at
his wits' end.

"Yes, certainly. Now look here, Francois; let us sp