wise, without, as you say, alarming a whole family. However,
remember my orders are that everything we want is to be paid for."

"I understand, sir, and you will see that the next time we reckon
up accounts every item shall be charged for, so that there will be
nothing on your conscience."

Philip laughed again.

"I shall be content if that is the case, Pierre; and I hope that
your conscience will be as clear as mine will be."

On the third of November, just a month after leaving Orleans, De La
Noue, with his troop augmented to three hundred, joined the Prince
of Conde before Paris. During the interval, he had traversed the
west of France by the route he had marked out for himself, had
raised fifty more men among the Huguenots of Brittany, and had been
joined on the route by many gentlemen with parties of their
retainers.

Several bodies of Catholics had been met and dispersed. Two or
three small towns, where the Huguenots had been ill treated and
massacred, were entered. The ringleaders in the persecutions had
been hung, and the authorities had been compelled to pay a heavy
fine, under threat of the whole town being committed to the flames.
Everywhere he passed La Noue had caused proclamations to be
scattered far and wide, to the effect that any ill treatment of
Huguenots would be followed by his return, and by the heaviest
punishment being inflicted upon all who molested them.

And so, having given great encouragement to the Huguenots, and
scattered terror among their persecutors; having ridden great
distances, and astonished the people of the western provinces by
his energy and activity; La Noue joined the Prince of Conde, with
three hundred men. He was heartily welcomed on his arrival at the
Huguenot camp at Saint Denis.

Francois de Laville and Philip Fletcher had thoroughly enjoyed the
expedition. They had often been in the saddle from early morning to
late at night; and had felt the benefit of having each two horses
as, when the party halted for a day or two, they were often sent
out with half their troop to visit distant places--to see friends;
to bring into the camp magistrates, and others, who had been
foremost in stirring up the people to attack the Huguenots; to
enter small towns, throw open prisons and carry off the Huguenots
confined there; and occasionally to hang the leaders of local
massacres. In these cases they were always accompanied by one or
other of the older leaders, in command of the p