," said La Renaudie, "we mean to neglect
nothing which shall strengthen our party,--for there is a party in the
Reformation, the party of thwarted interests, of nobles sacrificed to
the Lorrains, of old captains shamefully treated at Fontainebleau, from
which the cardinal has banished them by setting up gibbets on which to
hang those who ask the king for the cost of their equipment and their
back-pay."

"This, my child," resumed Chaudieu, observing a sort of terror in
Christophe, "this it is which compels us to conquer by arms instead of
conquering by conviction and by martyrdom. The queen-mother is on the
point of entering into our views. Not that she means to abjure; she has
not reached that decision as yet; but she may be forced to it by our
triumph. However that may be, Queen Catherine, humiliated and in despair
at seeing the power she expected to wield on the death of the king
passing into the hands of the Guises, alarmed at the empire of the young
queen, Mary, niece of the Lorrains and their auxiliary, Queen Catherine
is doubtless inclined to lend her support to the princes and lords who
are now about to make an attempt which will deliver her from the Guises.
At this moment, devoted as she may seem to them, she hates them; she
desires their overthrow, and will try to make use of us against them;
but Monseigneur the Prince de Conde intends to make use of her against
all. The queen-mother will, undoubtedly, consent to all our plans. We
shall have the Connetable on our side; Monseigneur has just been to see
him at Chantilly; but he does not wish to move without an order from his
masters. Being the uncle of Monseigneur, he will not leave him in the
lurch; and this generous prince does not hesitate to fling himself into
danger to force Anne de Montmorency to a decision. All is prepared,
and we have cast our eyes on you as the means of communicating to Queen
Catherine our treaty of alliance, the drafts of edicts, and the bases of
the new government. The court is at Blois. Many of our friends are with
it; but they are to be our future chiefs, and, like Monseigneur,"
he added, motioning to the prince, "they must not be suspected.
The queen-mother and our friends are so closely watched that it is
impossible to employ as intermediary any known person of importance;
they would instantly be suspected and kept from communicating with
Madame Catherine. God sends us at this crisis the shepherd David and his
sling to do battle wi