ing at La Rochelle; but the Admiral declined the
offer. Niort was but a day's march from the chateau and, although
its population were of mixed religion, the Catholics might, under
the influence of the present excitement, march against Laville. He
thought it would be better, therefore, that the chateau should be
maintained, with all its fighting force, as a centre to which the
Huguenots of the neighbourhood might rally.

"I think," he said, "that you might, for some time, sustain a siege
against all the forces that could be brought from Niort; and if you
are attacked I will, at once, send a force from the city to your
assistance. I have no doubt that the Queen of Navarre will join us,
and that I shall be able to take the offensive, very shortly."

Encouraged by the presence of the Admiral at La Rochelle, the whole
of the Huguenots of the district prepared to take the field,
immediately. Laville was the natural centre, and two hundred and
fifty men were ready to gather there, directly an alarm was given.

Three days later a man arrived at the chateau from Niort, soon
after daybreak. He reported that, on the previous day, the populace
had massacred thirty or forty Huguenots; and that all the rest they
could lay hands on, amounting in number to nearly two hundred, had
been dragged from their homes and thrown into prison. He said that
in all the villages round, the priests were preaching the
extermination of the Huguenots; and it was feared that, at any
moment, those of the religion would be attacked there; especially
as it was likely that the populace of the town would flock out, and
themselves undertake the work of massacre should the peasants, who
had hitherto lived on friendly terms with the Huguenots, hang back
from it.

"We must try to assist our brethren," the countess said, when she
heard the news. "Francois, take what force you can get together in
an hour, and ride over towards Niort. You will get there by midday.
If these ruffians come out from the town, do you give them a
lesson; and ride round to the villages, and bring off all of our
religion there. Assure them that they shall have protection here
until the troubles are over, or until matters so change that they
can return safely to their homes. We cannot sit quietly, and hear
of murder so close at hand. I see no prospect of rescuing the
unfortunates from the prison at Niort; and it would be madness,
with our small force, to attack a walled city; but I lea