reter, fled to the roof and made their escape in the
darkness. The barricade was carried, and a German named Besme, a
follower of the Duke of Guise, was the first to rush into the
Admiral's room. Coligny was calmly seated in a chair, and Besme
struck him two blows with his sword, while those following
despatched him.

Guise was waiting in the courtyard below. When he heard that the
Admiral was killed, he ordered the body to be thrown out of the
window. When he recognized that it was indeed the body of the
Admiral, he gave it a brutal kick, while one of his followers cut
off the head; and then Guise called upon the soldiers to follow
him, saying:

"We have begun well. Let us now see to the others, for so the king
commands."

As Philip turned from the spot, the bell of the church of Saint
Germain l'Auxerrois peeled forth, and shouts instantly rose from
all quarters. As he reached the street in which he lodged, Philip
saw that it was already half full of armed men, who were shouting
"Death to the Huguenots!" and were hammering at many of the doors.

He fell at once into a walk, and made his way through them
unmolested, the white badge on his arm seeming to guarantee that he
was a friend. He passed his own door, and made for that of the
Count de Valecourt. A combat was going on in front of it and, by
the light of the torches, Philip saw De Pascal defending himself
bravely against a host of enemies. Sword in hand, Philip sprang
forward. But before he could make his way through the soldiers, a
musket shot rang out, and De Pascal fell dead.

Philip drew back.

"To our own house, Pierre," he exclaimed to his lackey, who was
keeping close behind him; "we can do nothing here, and the door may
resist for a few minutes."

There was no one in front of the entrance, though at all the doors
marked with a white cross the soldiers were hammering with the
butts of their arquebuses. They slipped in, pushed the bars across,
ran upstairs and made their way on to the roof, and climbed along
it until they reached the window of the house in which De Valecourt
lodged; felt their way across the room till they discovered the
door, issued out and, as soon as they found the staircase, ran
down.

Already there was a turmoil below. A light streamed out from a door
of the count's apartments on the first floor. Philip ran in. Claire
de Valecourt was standing with one hand resting on the table,
deadly pale, but quiet. She was fully dressed.