est youth, he had come to enjoy it as others a festival, hailing
its advent with a reckless gaiety which astonished even brave men, and
led others to think him the least prudent of mankind. Yet such he was
not: nay, he was the opposite of this. Never did Marshal of France
make more careful dispositions for a battle--albeit once in it he bore
himself like any captain of horse--nor ever did Du Mornay himself sit
down to a conference with a more accurate knowledge of affairs. His
prodigious wit and the affability of his manners, while they endeared
him to his servants, again and again blinded his adversaries; who,
thinking that so much brilliance could arise only from a shallow nature,
found when it was too late that they had been outwitted by him whom
they contemptuously styled the Prince of Bearn, a man a hundredfold more
astute than themselves, and master alike of pen and sword.

Much of this, which all the world now knows, I learned afterwards. At
the moment I could think of little save the king's kindness; to which
he added by insisting that I should sit on the bed while we talked. 'You
wonder, M. de Marsac,' he said, 'what brings me here, and why I have
come to you instead of sending for you? Still more, perhaps, why I have
come to you at night and with such precautions? I will tell you. But
first, that my coming may not fill you with false hopes, let me say
frankly, that though I may relieve your present necessities, whether you
fall into the plan I am going to mention, or not, I cannot take you
into my service; wherein, indeed, every post is doubly filled. Du Mornay
mentioned your name to me, but in fairness to others I had to answer
that I could do nothing.'

I am bound to confess that this strange exordium dashed hopes which had
already risen to a high pitch. Recovering myself as quickly as possible,
however, I murmured that the honour of a visit from the King of Navarre
was sufficient happiness for me.

'Nay, but that honour I must take from you' he replied, smiling; 'though
I see that you would make an excellent courtier--far better than Du
Mornay here, who never in his life made so pretty a speech. For I must
lay my commands on you to keep this visit a secret, M. de Marsac. Should
but the slightest whisper of it get abroad, your usefulness, as far as I
am concerned, would be gone, and gone for good!'

So remarkable a statement filled me with wonder I could scarcely
disguise. It was with difficulty I found w