the two queens with soldierly
curiosity. The entrance of the king and Mary Stuart's two uncles put an
end to the painful situation.

VIII. MARTYRDOM

The cardinal went straight to the queen-mother.

"I hold the threads of the conspiracy of the heretics," said Catherine.
"They have sent me this treaty and these documents by the hands of that
child," she added.

During the time that Catherine was explaining matters to the cardinal,
Queen Mary whispered a few words to the grand-master.

"What is all this about?" asked the young king, who was left alone in
the midst of the violent clash of interests.

"The proofs of what I was telling to your Majesty have not been long in
reaching us," said the cardinal, who had grasped the papers.

The Duc de Guise drew his brother aside without caring that he
interrupted him, and said in his ear, "This makes me lieutenant-general
without opposition."

A shrewd glance was the cardinal's only answer; showing his brother that
he fully understood the advantages to be gained from Catherine's false
position.

"Who sent you here?" said the duke to Christophe.

"Chaudieu, the minister," he replied.

"Young man, you lie!" said the soldier, sharply; "it was the Prince de
Conde."

"The Prince de Conde, monseigneur!" replied Christophe, with a puzzled
look. "I never met him. I am studying law with Monsieur de Thou; I
am his secretary, and he does not know that I belong to the Reformed
religion. I yielded only to the entreaties of the minister."

"Enough!" exclaimed the cardinal. "Call Monsieur de Robertet," he said
to Lewiston, "for this young scamp is slyer than an old statesman; he
has managed to deceive my brother, and me too; an hour ago I would have
given him the sacrament without confession."

"You are not a child, _morbleu_!" cried the duke, "and we'll treat you
as a man."

"The heretics have attempted to beguile your august mother," said the
cardinal, addressing the king, and trying to draw him apart to win him
over to their ends.

"Alas!" said the queen-mother to her son, assuming a reproachful look
and stopping the king at the moment when the cardinal was leading him
into the oratory to subject him to his dangerous eloquence, "you see the
result of the situation in which I am; they think me irritated by the
little influence that I have in public affairs,--I, the mother of four
princes of the house of Valois!"

The young king listened attentively. Mary Stuart, s