n men and
yours. The rest will be gentlemen and their personal retainers."

"I would that it had been three hours later," Francois said, as the
Count left them and moved away, giving similar orders to the other
gentlemen. "I own I hate moving before it is light. There is
nothing ruffles the temper so much as getting up in the dark,
fumbling with your buckles and straps, and finding everyone else
just as surly and cross as you feel yourself. It was considered a
necessary part of my training that I should turn out and arm myself
at all times of the night. It was the part of my exercises that I
hated the most."

Philip laughed.

"It will not make much difference here, Francois. I don't like
getting out of a warm bed, myself, on a dark winter's morning; but
as there will be certainly no undressing tonight, and we shall
merely have to get up and shake the straw off us, it will not
matter much. By half-past five it will be beginning to get light.
At any rate, we should not mind it tomorrow, as it will be really
our first day of military service."

Up to a late hour fresh arrivals continued to pour in, and the
cooks and servants of the castle were kept hard at work,
administering to the wants of the hungry and tired men. There was
no regular set meal, each man feeding as he was disposed. After it
became dark, all the gentlemen of family gathered in the upper part
of the great hall, and there sat talking by the light of torches
until nine. Then the Admiral, with a few of the nobles who had been
in consultation with him, joined them and, a quarter of an hour
later, a pastor entered and prayers were read. Then a number of
retainers came in with trusses of straw, which were shaken down
thickly beside the walls; and as soon as this was done, all present
prepared to lie down.

"The trumpet will sound, gentleman," Francois de la Noue said in a
loud voice, "at half-past four; but this will only concern those
who, as it has already been arranged, will ride with me--the rest
will set out with the Admiral, at seven. I pray each of you who go
with me to bid his servant cut off a goodly portion of bread and
meat, to take along with him, and to place a flask or two of wine
in his saddlebags; for our ride will be a long one, and we are not
likely to be able to obtain refreshment on our way."

"I should have thought," Francois said, as he lay down on the straw
by Philip's side, "that we should have passed through plenty of
places wh