"We shall march in an hour, Monsieur Fletcher and, as soon as the
queen is up, I will see that she is acquainted with your coming.

"Allow me to introduce myself, first--Gaston de Rebers. Breakfast
is ready in this cottage, and we were about to sit down when we saw
you riding up. I shall be glad if you will share it with us. These
are my comrades, Messieurs Duvivier, Harcourt, and Parolles."

He then called a sergeant.

"Sergeant, see that Monsieur Fletcher's servant and men-at-arms
have a good meal."

"I think they must want it," Philip said. "They have been so busy,
in my service, that I doubt if they have eaten since breakfast
yesterday. I myself supped well, thanks to the courtesy of Monsieur
D'Estanges, who was good enough to send up an excellent capon, and
a bottle of wine to my cell."

"You know Monsieur D'Estanges?" Gaston de Rebers asked courteously.
"He is a gentleman of high repute and, though connected with the
Guises, he is said to be opposed to them in their crusade against
us."

"I had only the honour of meeting him yesterday," Philip said, as
they sat down to table; "but he behaved like a true gentleman, and
did me the honour of being my second, in an unfortunate affair into
which I was forced."

"Who was your opponent, may I ask, sir?"

"Count Raoul de Fontaine."

"A doughty swordsman!" Gaston de Rebers exclaimed; "but one of our
bitterest opponents in this province. You are fortunate, indeed, to
have escaped without a serious wound; for he has been engaged in
many duels, and but few of his opponents have escaped with their
lives."

"He will neither persecute you, nor fight more duels," Philip said
quietly; "for I had the misfortune to kill him."

The others looked at him with astonishment.

"Do I understand rightly, Monsieur Fletcher, that you have slain
Raoul de Fontaine in a duel?"

"That is the case," Philip replied. "Monsieur D'Estanges, as I have
said, acted as my second. Count Louis de Fontaine acted for his
cousin."

"You will pardon my having asked you the question again," De Rebers
said; "but really, it seemed well-nigh impossible that a gentleman
who, as I take it, can yet be scarcely of age, should have slain
Raoul de Fontaine."

"I lack four years, yet, of being of age," Philip said; "for it
will be another month before I am seventeen. But I have had good
teachers, both English and French; and our games and exercises, at
school, naturally bring us forward, in point of