e will be here to-morrow,
bringing four thousand Bearnese with her. They are sturdy fellows and
splendid fighters."

"There is another item of news," I said. "The English queen is sending
money and guns!"

"Ah," responded my comrade, "the English are stupid! Why don't they join
us boldly? We are fighting for the same object, and against the same
enemy. For, mark you, Edmond, our real foes are Spain and the Pope,
which these English will find out one of these days! If we get beaten,
it will be their turn next."

We gave the brave Queen of Navarre and her troops a right royal
reception, but to me the most interesting figure in the procession was
her son, Henry, on whom in the years to come the hopes of so many
Frenchmen were centred. He was quite a boy, only fifteen years old, but
he had a strong and capable face, full of fire and energy. His hair had
a reddish tinge, his skin was brown but clear, and he had well-shaped
regular features. His eyes had a sweet expression, and when he smiled
his whole face lit up with animation. He sat his horse with extreme
grace, and responded to the plaudits of the crowd with courtly bows.

"A gallant lad!" exclaimed Felix delightedly. "He has the makings of a
soldier, and in a year or two will be a tower of strength to us."

The talk now among the younger men was of moving out from Rochelle,
scattering the Royalists, marching on Paris, and dictating peace in the
palace. It was astonishing how easy these things appeared to be, as we
sat and gossiped idly in the Admiral's ante-chamber! Fortunately,
however, our leaders, being in possession of cooler heads and clearer
brains, decided otherwise, and when winter came, making a campaign
impossible, we were still inside the walls.

During the autumn we were joined by a troop of English gentlemen, about
a hundred strong, under the leadership of one named Henry Champernoun.
They were mostly young, of good birth and family, very gallant fellows,
and as eager to fight as the most headstrong of us.

With one of them--Roger Braund, a lad about the same age as Felix--we
soon became very friendly. He was fair and handsome, with sparkling blue
eyes and shapely features. He was tall and well made, a skilful
horseman, and an astonishing master of fence. Few of us could equal him
with the sword, but he was modest and unassuming, and had a genial
manner, very captivating.

He was a frequent visitor at my aunt's house, where he speedily became
as g