ome!"

The queen took her friend's place, and looked through the keyhole;
Coconnas, as the duchess had said, was sitting at a well-served table,
and, despite his wounds, was doing ample justice to the good things
before him.

"Ah, great heavens!" cried Marguerite, starting back.

"What is the matter?" asked the duchess in amazement.

"Impossible!--no!--yes!--on my soul, 'tis the very man!"

"Who?"

"Hush," said Marguerite, getting to her feet and seizing the duchess's
hand; "'tis the man who pursued my Huguenot into my room, and stabbed
him in my arms! Oh, Henriette, how fortunate he did not see me!"

"Well, then, you have seen him fighting; was he not handsome?"

"I do not know," said Marguerite, "for I was looking at the man he was
pursuing."

"What is his name?"

"You will not mention it before the count?"

"No, I give you my promise!"

"Lerac de la Mole."

"And what do you think of him now?"

"Of Monsieur de la Mole?"

"No, of Monsieur de Coconnas?"

"Faith!" said Marguerite, "I confess I think"--

She stopped.

"Come, come," said the duchess, "I see you are angry with him for having
wounded your Huguenot."

"Why, so far," said Marguerite, laughing, "my Huguenot owes him nothing;
the slash he gave him under his eye"--

"They are quits, then, and we can reconcile them. Send me your wounded
man."

"Not now--by and by."

"When?"

"When you have found yours another room."

"Which?"

Marguerite looked meaningly at her friend, who, after a moment's
silence, laughed.

"So be it," said the duchess; "alliance firmer than ever."

"Friendship ever sincere!"

"And the word, in case we need each other?"

"The triple name of your triple god, '_Eros, Cupido, Amor._'"

And the two princesses separated after one more kiss, and pressing each
other's hand for the twentieth time.

CHAPTER XIII.

HOW THERE ARE KEYS WHICH OPEN DOORS THEY ARE NOT MEANT FOR.

The Queen of Navarre on her return to the Louvre found Gillonne in great
excitement. Madame de Sauve had been there in her absence. She had
brought a key sent her by the queen mother. It was the key of the room
in which Henry was confined. It was evident that the queen mother for
some purpose of her own wished the Bearnais to spend that night in
Madame de Sauve's apartment.

Marguerite took the key and turned it over and over; she made Gillonne
repeat Madame de Sauve's every word, weighed them, letter by letter, in
her mind, and