e antechamber he saw the captain of the guards, who
was waiting for Catharine. The sight of this man, instead of allaying
his suspicions, augmented them.

On her part, no sooner had she seen the curtains fall behind Orthon than
Catharine sprang to the mirror. But in vain she sought behind it with
hands trembling with impatience. She found no note.

And yet she was sure that she had seen the boy approach the mirror. It
was to remove the note, therefore, and not to leave it. Fate had given
to her enemies a strength equal to her own.

A child had become a man the moment he fought with her.

She moved the mirror, looked behind it, tapped it; nothing was there!

"Oh! unhappy boy!" cried she, "I wished him no ill and now by removing
the note he hastens his destiny. Ho, there, Monsieur de Nancey!"

The vibrating tones of the queen mother rang through the salon and
penetrated into the anteroom, where, as we have said, Monsieur de Nancey
was waiting.

The captain of the guards hastened to the queen.

"Here I am, madame," said he, "what is your majesty's will?"

"Have you been in the antechamber?"

"Yes, madame."

"Did you see a young man, a child, pass through?"

"Just now."

"He cannot have gone far, can he?"

"Scarcely to the stairway."

"Call him back."

"What is his name?"

"Orthon. If he refuses to come bring him back by force; but do not
frighten him unless he resists. I must speak to him at once."

The captain of the guards hurriedly withdrew.

As he had said, Orthon was scarcely half way down the stairs, for he was
descending slowly, hoping to meet or see the King of Navarre or Madame
de Sauve somewhere.

He heard his name and gave a start.

His first impulse was to run, but with forethought beyond his years he
realized that by doing so all would be lost.

He stopped therefore.

"Who calls me?"

"I, Monsieur de Nancey," replied the captain of the guards, hurrying
down the stairs.

"But I am in haste," said Orthon.

"By order of her majesty the queen mother," said Monsieur de Nancey, as
he came up to him.

The youth wiped the perspiration from his brow and turned back.

The captain followed.

Catharine's first idea had been to stop the young man, have him
searched, and take possession of the note which she knew he had. She had
planned to accuse him of theft, and with this end in view she had
removed from the toilet table a diamond clasp which she was going to say
he had taken.

Bu