earn, connected in the female line with that of Albret: quarterly, paly
of or and sable; and azure two griffins' claws armed, gules in saltire,
with the famous motto Des partem leonis. At the time of this alliance
we lost Negrepelisse, a little town which was as famous during the
religious struggles as was my ancestor who then bore the name. Captain
de Negrepelisse was ruined by the burning of all his property, for the
Protestants did not spare a friend of Montluc's.

"The Crown was unjust to M. de Negrepelisse; he received neither a
marshal's baton, nor a post as governor, nor any indemnity; King Charles
IX., who was fond of him, died without being able to reward him; Henri
IV. arranged his marriage with Mademoiselle d'Espard, and secured
him the estates of that house, but all those of the Negrepelisses had
already passed into the hands of his creditors.

"My great-grandfather, the Marquis d'Espard, was, like me, placed early
in life at the head of his family by the death of his father, who, after
dissipating his wife's fortune, left his son nothing but the entailed
estates of the d'Espards, burdened with a jointure. The young Marquis
was all the more straitened for money because he held a post at Court.
Being in great favor with Louis XIV., the King's goodwill brought him
a fortune. But here, monsieur, a blot stained our escutcheon, an
unconfessed and horrible stain of blood and disgrace which I am making
it my business to wipe out. I discovered the secret among the deeds
relating to the estate of Negrepelisse and the packets of letters."

At this solemn moment the Marquis spoke without hesitation or any of the
repetition habitual with him; but it is a matter of common observation
that persons who, in ordinary life, are afflicted with these two
defects, are freed from them as soon as any passionate emotion underlies
their speech.

"The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes was decreed," he went on. "You
are no doubt aware, monsieur, that this was an opportunity for many
favorites to make their fortunes. Louis XIV. bestowed on the magnates
about his Court the confiscated lands of those Protestant families who
did not take the prescribed steps for the sale of their property. Some
persons in high favor went 'Protestant-hunting,' as the phrase was. I
have ascertained beyond a doubt that the fortune enjoyed to this day by
two ducal families is derived from lands seized from hapless merchants.

"I will not attempt to explai