n he had seen that the arrangements were complete, Philip
told Pierre to follow him, and went up to the castle, where Conde
and Coligny, with their families, were lodged. He was greeted
warmly by several of the gentlemen who had stopped at the chateau,
a few days before.

The story of the fugitives from Niort had already spread through
the town, and Philip was eagerly questioned about it. Just as he
was about to tell the story, Conde and the Admiral came out, from
an inner room, into the large anteroom where they were talking.

"Ah! Here is the young count's cousin, Monsieur Fletcher," the
Admiral said. "Now we shall hear about this affair of Niort, of
which we have received half a dozen different versions, in the last
hour. Is the count himself here?"

"No, sir. He returned to Laville, escorting the fugitives who went
thither; while he sent me, with the larger portion of the troop, to
protect the passage hither of the main body."

"But it was reported to me that the troop with which you entered
was but forty strong. I hear you fought a battle on the way. Did
you lose many men there?"

"None, sir. Indeed I am glad to say that, beyond a few trifling
wounds, the whole matter has been carried out without any loss to
the party that rode from Laville."

"How strong were they altogether, monsieur?"

"Sixty, sir."

"Then where did you join the force that, as we hear, cut up the
townspeople of Niort as they were massacring our people in the
villages round, and afterwards obtained from the town the freedom
of those who had been cast into prison, and permission for all
Huguenots to leave the town?"

"There was no other force, sir. We had just the sixty men from
Laville, commanded by my cousin Francois. When the news arrived of
the doings at Niort, there was no time to send round to gather our
friends; so we mounted the men-at-arms at the chateau and rode with
all speed, and were but just in time. Had we delayed another half
hour, to gather a larger force, we should have been too late."

"Tell us all about it," the prince said.

"This seems to have been a gallant and well-managed affair,
Admiral."

Philip related the whole circumstances of the affair; how the
townspeople had been heavily punished, and the chief men taken as
hostages, and the peasants compelled to assist to convey the
property of the Huguenots to Laville; also the subsequent
negotiations, and the escape of all the Huguenots from Niort; and
how the