apprise your majesty of the danger with which you were threatened."

The queen went toward the door, and Henry followed her. She opened it,
and the king was thunderstruck at beholding a man in this cabinet, fated
to reveal such continued surprises.

But La Mole was still more surprised at thus unexpectedly finding
himself in the presence of Henry of Navarre. The result was that the
king cast an ironical glance on Marguerite, who bore it without
flinching.

"Sire," said she, "I am in dread lest this gentleman may be murdered
even here, in my very chamber; he is devoted to your majesty's service,
and for that reason I commend him to your royal protection."

"Sire," continued the young man, "I am the Comte Lerac de la Mole, whom
your majesty was expecting; I was recommended to you by that poor
Monsieur de Teligny, who was killed by my side."

"Aha!" replied Henry; "you are right, sir. The queen gave me his letter;
but have you not also a letter from the governor of Languedoc?"

"Yes, sire, and I was recommended to deliver it to your majesty as soon
as I arrived."

"Why did you not do so?"

"Sire, I hastened to the Louvre last evening, but your majesty was too
much occupied to give me audience."

"True!" answered the king; "but I should think you might have sent the
letter to me?"

"I had orders from Monsieur d'Auriac to give it to no one else but your
majesty, since it contained, he said, information so important that he
feared to entrust it to any ordinary messenger."

"The contents are, indeed, of a serious nature," said the king, when he
had received and read the letter; "advising my instant withdrawal from
the court of France, and retirement to Bearn. M. d'Auriac, although a
Catholic, was always a stanch friend of mine; and it is possible that,
acting as governor of a province, he got scent of what was in the wind
here. _Ventre saint gris_! monsieur! why was not this letter given to me
three days ago, instead of now?"

"Because, as I before assured your majesty, that using all the speed and
diligence in my power, it was wholly impossible to arrive before
yesterday."

"That is very unfortunate, very unfortunate," murmured the king; "we
should then have been in security, either at Rochelle or in some broad
plain surrounded by two or three thousand trusty horsemen."

"Sire, what is done is done," said Marguerite, in a low voice, "and
instead of wasting your time complaining over the past you must do the