of the Order to guard the entrance to her
bower. What a day it has been! I suppose you know it will be on
Saturday?"

I could have struck the coxcomb; but held myself in, and asked to see
La Valentinois, adding that my affair was of vital import. At this
Crequy began to hum and haw, and I had to humour him, telling him that
madame would give him but small thanks for denying me, as my business
concerned what was to happen on Saturday.

"That is a different matter," he said. "I will see." And he tapped at
the door. There was no answer; thereupon Crequy gently opened the door
and stepped in. He came out again almost immediately.

"As I said, madame is reposing; but I have told the Syrian. Would you
like to wait here?"

"Perhaps I had better get my business over as soon as possible, and
save the Syrian the trouble of coming to the outer door," I said. At
which Crequy shrugged his shoulders, and pointing to the door with a
mock bow bade me enter.

I did as I was bidden, and found myself in a long and narrow room. The
ceiling, painted to represent the sky lit up by the crescent moon, was
supported by eight arabesque pillars, four on either hand. Around the
bases of the pillars, and scattered here and there over the rich
carpet, were seats made of huge soft cushions, covered with matchless
embroidery. Near one of these luxurious seats was a low carved table
upon which lay an open volume of Ronsard's poems, and close by it,
thrown carelessly on the carpet, was a lute with a cluster of streaming
ribbons, and a black and white satin sling attached to it. Behind this
stood a carved ebony _prie-dieu_, and above the crucifix that
surmounted it hung a shield surrounded by a wreath of flowers, and
bearing upon it a tree springing out of a tomb, with the legend: "Left
alone--I live in thee," upon a scroll beneath. This was the strange
manner in which Diane de Poitiers kept the memory of her dead husband
green--for she ever posed as the inconsolable widow, carrying her
husband's soul about with her, packed in straw, like her Venetian
crystal goblets and eastern pottery. In the centre of the room, upon a
veined marble pedestal, stood, in strange incongruity, a replica of the
great bronze of Goujou, that faced her chateau of Anet. In this Diane
was represented nude, reclining upon a stag, a bow in her hand, and
surrounded by dogs.

Owing to the heat of the day the windows were open; but the curtains of
pale blue s