and amusement; in
fine, with a very different look from that which had been my welcome
earlier in the evening. I was driven to suppose that he was too great a
man, or too sure of his favour with the king, to be swayed by the
petty motives which actuated the Court generally, for he laid his hand
familiarly on my shoulder, and walked on beside me.

'Well my friend,' he said,' you have distinguished yourself finely! I
do not know that I ever remember a pretty woman making more stir in one
evening. But if you are wise you will not go home alone to-night.'

'I have my sword, M. le Marquis,' I answered, somewhat proudly. 'Which
will avail you little against a knife in the back!' he retorted drily.
'What attendance have you?'

'My equerry, Simon Fleix, is on the stairs.'

'Good, so far, but not enough,' he replied, as we reached the head of
the staircase. 'You had better come home with me now, and two or three
of my fellows shall go on to your lodging with you. Do you know, my
friend,' he continued, looking at me keenly, 'you are either a very
clever or a very foolish man?'

I made answer modestly. 'Neither the one, I fear, nor the other, I hope
sir,' I said.

'Well, you have done a very pertinent thing,' he replied, 'for good or
evil. You have let the enemy know what he has to expect, and he is not
one, I warn you, to be despised. But whether you have been very wise or
very foolish in declaring open war remains to be seen.'

'A week will show,' I answered.

He turned and looked at me. 'You take it coolly,' he said.

'I have been knocking about the world for forty years, marquis,' I
rejoined.

He muttered something about Rosny having a good eye, and then stopped to
adjust his cloak. We were by this time in the street. Making me go hand
in hand with him, he requested the other gentlemen to draw their swords;
and the servants being likewise armed and numbering half a score or
more, with pikes and torches, we made up a very formidable party,
and caused, I think, more alarm as we passed through the streets to
Rambouillet's lodging than we had any reason to feel. Not that we had it
all to ourselves, for the attendance at Court that evening being large,
and the circle breaking up as I have described more abruptly than usual,
the vicinity of the castle was in a ferment, and the streets leading
from it were alive with the lights and laughter of parties similar to
our own.

At the door of the marquis's lodging I prepared