one seat,' I said. 'We can talk freely
here. Now, tell me all about it.'

"'I am one of the bedmakers of the palace, and it fell to me to
sweep the room occupied by the Count de Laville. Once or twice he
came in, while I was there, and spoke pleasantly; and I thought
what a handsome fellow he was, and said to myself what a pity it
was that he was a heretic. When that terrible night came, we were
all aroused from our sleep, and many of us ran down in a fright to
see what was the matter. We heard shouts, and cries, and the
clashing of swords.

"'As I passed Monsieur de Laville's room, the door was open. I
looked in. Three soldiers lay dead on the floor, and near them the
count, whom I thought was also dead. I ran to him, and lifted his
head, and sprinkled water on his face from a flagon on the table.
He opened his eyes, and made an effort to get to his feet. I was
frightened out of my life at it all, and I said to him:

"'"What does it all mean, monsieur?"

"'"It is a massacre," he said, faintly. "Do you not hear the firing
in the streets, and the din in the palace? They will return and
finish me. I thank you for what you have done, but it is useless."

"'Then I thought for a moment.

"'"Can you walk, monsieur?"

"'"Barely," he replied.

"'"Lean on my shoulder, monsieur," I said. "I will help you up the
stairs. I know of a place where you may lie concealed."

"'With great difficulty I helped him up a staircase that was but
little used, and got him to the top. Several times he said: "It is
of no use; I am wounded to death!" but he still held on.

"'I slept in a little garret in the roof, with two other servants,
and at the end of the passage was a large lumber store. It was into
this that I took him. Nobody ever went there, and it was safe,
except in case of special search. I laid him down, and then moved
some of the heavy cabinets and chests, at the farther end, a short
distance from the wall, so that there would be space enough for him
to lie behind them. Here I made a bed, with some old cushions from
the couches; got him into the place, first bandaging his wounds, as
well as I could in the faint light that came in through a dormer
window. I fetched a jug of water from my room, and placed it beside
him; and then moved the furniture, so as to close up the spot at
which he had entered. Against it I piled up tables and chairs; so
that, to anyone who did not examine it very closely, it would seem
that the heavy