an that young varlet who would have
been such a good mark for my second ball!"

But Maurevel thought that the note given to Orthon and which he was to
deliver to Madame de Sauve might perhaps be of more importance than the
life of the Huguenot chief.

"Well!" said he, "you have escaped me again this morning; be it so.
To-morrow I will have my turn at you if I have to follow you into that
hell from which you have come to ruin me, unless I destroy you."

De Mouy raised his cloak over his face, and set out rapidly in the
direction of the Temple. Orthon took the road along the moat which led
to the banks of the river.

Then Maurevel, rising with more energy and vigor than he had dared to
hope for, regained the Rue de la Cerisaie, reached his home, ordered a
horse to be saddled, and weak as he was and at the risk of opening his
wounds again, set off at a gallop to the Rue Saint Antoine, reached the
quays, and entered the Louvre.

Five minutes after he had passed under the gate Catharine knew all that
had just taken place, and Maurevel had received the thousand golden
crowns promised him for the arrest of the King of Navarre.

"Oh!" said Catharine, "either I am mistaken or this De Mouy is the black
spot that was discovered by Rene in the horoscope of the accursed
Bearnais."

A quarter of an hour after Maurevel Orthon entered the Louvre, showed
himself as De Mouy had directed, and went to the apartments of Madame de
Sauve, after having spoken to several attendants of the palace.

Dariole was the only one in her mistress's rooms. Catharine had asked
the latter to write certain important letters, and she had been with the
queen for the last five minutes.

"No matter," said Orthon, "I will wait."

Taking advantage of his intimacy in the house, the young man went into
the sleeping-room of the baroness, and, having assured himself that he
was alone, he laid the note behind the mirror. Just as he was removing
his hand Catharine entered.

Orthon turned pale, for it seemed to him that the quick, searching
glance of the queen mother was first directed to the mirror.

"What are you doing here, my little man?" asked Catharine; "looking for
Madame de Sauve?"

"Yes, madame; it is a long time since I saw her, and if I delay any
longer in thanking her I fear she will think me ungrateful."

"You love this dear Charlotte very much, do you not?"

"With all my heart, madame!"

"And you are faithful, from what I hear."

"You