ng tour: partly because we
want men, but more to encourage our people by the sight of an armed
party, and to show the Catholics that they had best stay their
hands, and leave us alone for the present.

"I take a hundred men with me, including your troop and my own,
which I hope largely to increase. Sometimes we shall keep in a
body, sometimes break up into two or three parties. Always we shall
move rapidly, so as to appear where least expected, and so spread
uneasiness as to where we may next appear.

"In the south we are, as I hear, holding our own. I shall therefore
go first to Brittany and, if all is quiet, there raise another
fifty men. We shall travel through Touraine and Anjou as we go, and
then sweep round by Normandy and La Perche, and so up to Paris.

"So you see, we shall put a good many miles of ground under our
feet, before we join the Prince. In that way not only shall we
swell our numbers and encourage our friends, but we shall deter
many of the Catholic gentry from sending their retainers to join
the army of the Guises."

"It will be a pleasant ride, cousin," Francois said, "and I hope
that we shall have an opportunity of doing some good work, before
we reach Paris; and especially that we shall not arrive there too
late to join in the coming battle."

"I do not think that there is much fear of that," the Count
replied. "The Prince has not sufficient strength to attack Paris.
And for my part, I think that it would have been far better, when
it was found that his plan of seizing the court had failed, to have
drawn off at once. He can do nothing against Paris, and his
presence before it will only incite the inhabitants against us, and
increase their animosity. It would have been better to have applied
the force in reducing several strong towns where, as at Orleans,
the bulk of the inhabitants are favourable to us. In this way we
should weaken the enemy, strengthen ourselves, and provide places
of refuge for our people in case of need. However, it is too late
for such regrets. The Prince is there, and we must take him what
succour we can.

"I was pleased with you both, in the fights upon the day we
entered. You both behaved like brave gentlemen and good swordsmen.
I expected no less from you, Francois; but I was surprised to find
your English cousin so skilled with his weapon."

"He is a better swordsman than I am," Francois said; "which is a
shame to me, since he is two years my junior."

"Is he