"

"Then everything is for the best," said Henry, rising.

"You are going, monsieur?" asked Marguerite, quickly.

"Oh, my God, yes. This is all I had to say to you."

"And you are going"--

"To try and get out of the trouble we have been put to by this devil of
a man in the red cloak."

"Oh, my God! my God! the poor young man!" cried Marguerite, pitifully,
wringing her hands.

"Really," said Henry, as he went out, "this dear Monsieur de la Mole is
a faithful servant."

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE GIRDLE OF THE QUEEN MOTHER.

Charles entered his room, smiling and joking. But after a conversation
of ten minutes with his mother, one would have said that the latter had
given him her pallor and anger in exchange for the light-heartedness of
her son.

"Monsieur de la Mole," said Charles, "Monsieur de la Mole! Henry and the
Duc d'Alencon must be sent for. Henry, because this young man was a
Huguenot; the Duc d'Alencon, because he is in his service."

"Send for them if you wish, my son, but you will learn nothing. Henry
and Francois, I fear, are much more closely bound together than one
would suppose from appearances. To question them is to suspect them. I
think it would be better to wait for the slow but sure proof of time. If
you give the guilty ones time to breathe again, my son, if you let them
think they have escaped your vigilance, they will become bold and
triumphant, and will give you a better opportunity to punish them. Then
we shall know everything."

Charles walked up and down, undecided, gnawing his anger, as a horse
gnaws his bit, and pressing his clinched hand to his heart, which was
consumed by his one idea.

"No, no," said he, at length; "I will not wait. You do not know what it
is to wait, beset with suspicions as I am. Besides, every day these
courtiers become more insolent. Even last night did not two of them dare
to cope with us? If Monsieur de la Mole is innocent, very good; but I
should not be sorry to know where Monsieur de la Mole was last night,
while they were attacking my guards in the Louvre, and me in the Rue
Cloche Percee. So let the Duc d'Alencon be sent for, and afterwards
Henry. I will question them separately. You may remain, mother."

Catharine sat down. For a determined spirit such as hers was, every
incident turned by her powerful hand would lead her to her goal,
although it might seem to be leading away from it. From every blow there
would result noise and a spark. The