meeting place with Coligny; and skirting the hills of
Bourbonais, Auvergne, and Limousin, they at last arrived within a
day's march of Limoges; the journey of five hundred miles, through
a hostile country, being one of the most remarkable in military
history.

That evening Admiral Coligny and his staff rode into camp, having
arrived with his army at Limoges. The Duc had been for some time
suffering from fever; and had, for the last week, been carried in a
litter, being unable to sit his horse. He was, when the Admiral
arrived, unconscious; and died the next morning, being succeeded in
his command by the Count of Mansfeldt. Next day the two armies
joined, with great demonstrations of joy.

The Duc d'Anjou had been closely watching the army of Coligny, his
army being somewhat superior in force to that of the allies, who
now numbered some twenty-five thousand; for the duke had been
recently reinforced by five thousand papal troops, and twelve
hundred Florentines. A part of his force, under General Strozzi,
was at La Roche Abeille. They were attacked by the Huguenots. Four
hundred Royalists were killed, and many taken prisoners, among them
their general.

There was, for a time, a pause. The court entered into fresh
negotiations with the Admiral, being anxious to delay his
operations; as many of the nobles who were with the Duc D'Anjou,
wearied by the burdens imposed upon them, insisted upon returning
for a time to their homes. The Huguenots were, above all things,
anxious for peace; and allowed themselves to be detained, for
nearly a month, by these negotiations.

On the march down after the capture of La Charite, the German force
had passed within a few miles of the Chateau de Landres; and Philip
rode over to see whether Claire was still there. She received him
with the frank pleasure of a girl.

"We have heard very little of what is going on outside, Monsieur
Fletcher," Madame de Landres said, after the first greetings were
over; "though the air has been full of rumours. Again and again,
reports were brought in that the duke's army had been entirely
destroyed by the Royalist forces. Then, after a day or two, we
heard of it as still advancing; but in danger, hourly, of being
destroyed. Then came the news that every town commanding a bridge
across the Loire was being put in a state of defence, and strong
bodies of troops thrown into them; and we heard that, as soon as
the Germans reached the river, and farther advan