l take a stroll around
the arsenal, and I will pin him to the grass with four blows of my
rapier, after which I shall leave Paris with a lighter heart."

"Attend to your affairs, my friend, by all means," said the Bearnais.
"By the way, you are pleased with La Mole, are you not?"

"Yes; he is a charming fellow, devoted to you body and soul, sire, and
on whom you can depend as you can on me--brave"--

"And above all, discreet. So he must follow us to Navarre, De Mouy; once
there we will look about and see what we can do to recompense him."

As Henry concluded these words with a sly smile, the door opened or
rather was broken in, and the man they had just been praising appeared,
pale and agitated.

"Quick, sire," cried he; "quick, the house is surrounded."

"Surrounded!" cried Henry, rising; "by whom?"

"By the King's guards."

"Oh!" said De Mouy, drawing his pistols from his belt, "we are to have a
battle, apparently."

"Well," said La Mole, "you may well talk of pistols and battle, but what
can you do against fifty men?"

"He is right," said the king; "and if there were any means of escape"--

"There is one which has already been of use to me, and if your majesty
will follow me"--

"And De Mouy?"

"And De Mouy too if he wishes, but you must be quick."

Steps were heard on the stairs.

"It is too late," said Henry.

"Ah! if any one would only engage them for five minutes," cried La Mole,
"I would save the king."

"Save him, then, monsieur," said De Mouy; "I will look after them. Go,
sire, go."

"But what shall you do?"

"Do not fear, sire, but go."

And De Mouy began by hiding the king's plate, napkin, and goblet, so
that it might seem as though he had been alone at table.

"Come, sire, come," cried La Mole, seizing the king by the arm and
dragging him towards the stairway.

"De Mouy, my brave De Mouy!" exclaimed Henry, holding out his hand to
the young man.

De Mouy kissed the hand, pushed Henry from the room, and closed and
bolted the door after him.

"Yes, I understand," said Henry, "he will be caught, while we escape;
but who the devil can have betrayed us?"

"Come, sire, come. They are on the stairs."

In fact, the light of the torches was beginning to be seen on the wall,
while at the foot of the stairs sounds like the clanking of swords were
heard.

"Quick, quick, sire!" cried La Mole.

And, guiding the king in the darkness, he ascended two flights, pushed
open a door, which