n to
talk of joining the French standard in a campaign in their present home
and described the conversation, Walsingham said,--

'The Admiral's favourite project! He would do wisely not to brag of it
so openly. The King of Spain has too many in his interest in this place
not to be warned, and to be thus further egged on to compass the ruin of
Coligny.'

'I should have thought,' said Sidney. 'that nothing could add to his
hatred of the Reformed.'

'Scarcely,' said Walsingham; 'save that it is they who hinder the Duke
of Guise from being a good Frenchman, and a foe to Spain.'

Politics had not developed themselves in Berenger's mind, and he
listened inattentively while Walsingham talked over with Sidney the
state of parties in France, where natural national enmity to Spain was
balanced by the need felt by the Queen-mother of the support of that
great Roman Catholic power against the Huguenots; whom Walsingham
believed her to dread and hate less for their own sake than from the
fear of loss of influence over her son. He believed Charles IX. himself
to have much leaning towards the Reformed, but the late victories has
thrown the whole court entirely into the power of the Guises, the truly
unscrupulous partisans of Rome. They were further inflamed against the
Huguenots by the assassination of the last Duke of Guise, and by the
violences that had been committed by some of the Reformed party, in
especial a massacre of prisoners at _Nerac_.

Sidney exclaimed that the Huguenots had suffered far worse cruelties.

'That is true,' replied Sir Francis, 'but, my young friend, you will
find, in all matters of reprisals, that a party has no memory for what
it may commit, only for what it may receive.'

The conversation was interrupted by an invitation to the Ambassador's
family and guests to a tilting-match and subsequent ball at the Louvre.
In the first Berenger did his part with credit; to the second he went
feeling full of that strange attraction of repulsion. He knew gentlemen
enough in Coligny's suite for it to be likely that he might remain
unperceived among them, and he knew this would be prudent, but he found
himself unexpectedly near the ranks of ladies, and smile and gesture
absolutely drew him towards his semi-spouse, so that he had no
alternative but to lead her out to dance.

The stately measure was trod in silence as usual, but he felt the dark
eyes studying him all the time. However, he could bear it better now