re of Henri, Duke of Guise, towered high above all around him,
and his grand features, proud lip, and stern eye claimed such natural
superiority that Berenger for a moment felt a glow on his cheek as he
remembered his challenge of his right to rival that splendid stature.
And yet Guise was very little older than himself; but he walked, a
prince of men, among a crowd of gentlemen, attendants on him rather than
on the King. The elegant but indolent-looking Duke de Montmorency had
a much more attractive air, and seemed to hold a kind of neutral ground
between Guise on the one hand, and the Reformed, who mustered at the
other end of the apartment. Almost by intuition, Berenger knew the fine
calm features of the gray-haired Admiral de Coligny before he heard him
so addressed by the King's loud, rough voice. When the King rose from
table the presentations took place, but as Charles heard the name of
the Baron de Ribaumont, he exclaimed, 'What, Monsieur, are you presented
here by our good sister's representative?'

Walsingham answered for him, alluding to the negotiations for Queen
Elizabeth's marriage with one of the French princes--'Sire, in the
present happy conjuncture, it needs not be a less loyal Frenchman to
have an inheritance in the lands of my royal mistress.'

'What say you, Monsieur?' sharply demanded the King: 'are you come here
to renounce your country, religion--and love, as I have been told?'

'I hope, Sire, never to be unfaithful where I owe faith,' said Berenger,
heated, startled, and driven to extremity.

'Not ill answered for the English giant,' said Charles aside to
an attendant: then turning eagerly to Sidney, whose transcendent
accomplishments had already become renowned, Charles welcomed him to
court, and began to discuss Ronsard's last sonnet, showing no small
taste and knowledge of poetry. Greatly attracted by Sidney, the King
detained the whole English party by an invitation to Walsingham to hear
music in the Queen-mother's apartments; and Berenger, following in the
wake of his friends, found himself in a spacious hall, with a raised
gallery at one end for the musicians, the walls decorated with the
glorious paintings collected by Francois I., Greek and Roman statues
clustered at the angles, and cabinets with gems and antiques disposed
at intervals. Not that Berenger beheld much of this: he was absolutely
dazzled with the brilliant assembly into which he was admitted. There
moved the most beautifu