.

The paper was attached to a cord, which came through the broken window.

Marguerite unfolded the letter and read.

"Unfortunate man!" she cried, holding out the paper to La Mole, who
stood as pale and motionless as a statue of Terror.

With a heart filled with gloomy forebodings he read these words:

"_They are waiting for Monsieur de la Mole, with long swords, in the
corridor leading to the apartments of Monsieur d'Alencon. Perhaps he
would prefer to escape by this window and join Monsieur de Mouy at
Mantes_"--

"Well!" asked La Mole, after reading it, "are these swords longer than
mine?"

"No, but there may be ten against one."

"Who is the friend who has sent us this note?" asked La Mole.

Marguerite took it from the young man's hand and looked at it
attentively.

"The King of Navarre's handwriting!" she cried. "If he warns us, the
danger is great. Flee, La Mole, flee, I beg you."

"How?" asked La Mole.

"By this window. Does not the note refer to it?"

"Command, my queen, and I will leap from the window to obey you, if I
broke my head twenty times by the fall."

"Wait, wait," said Marguerite. "It seems to me that there is a weight
attached to this cord."

"Let us see," said La Mole.

Both drew up the cord, and with indescribable joy saw a ladder of hair
and silk at the end of it.

"Ah! you are saved," cried Marguerite.

"It is a miracle of heaven!"

"No, it is a gift from the King of Navarre."

"But suppose it were a snare?" said La Mole. "If this ladder were to
break under me? Madame, did you not acknowledge your love for me
to-day?"

Marguerite, whose joy had dissipated her grief, became ashy pale.

"You are right," said she, "that is possible."

She started to the door.

"What are you going to do?" cried La Mole.

"To find out if they are really waiting for you in the corridor."

"Never! never! For their anger to fall on you?"

"What can they do to a daughter of France? As a woman and a royal
princess I am doubly inviolable."

The queen uttered these words with so much dignity that La Mole
understood she ran no risk, and that he must let her do as she wished.

Marguerite put La Mole under the protection of Gillonne, leaving to him
to decide, according to circumstances, whether to run or await her
return, and started down the corridor. A side hall led to the library as
well as to several reception-rooms, and at the end led to the apartments
of the King, the queen mother, a