"How could you venture?"

"Psha! it is good to show confidence; and every one must have a
beginning. Which of us would let a doctor try his hand on us, if we knew
it was for the first time?"

I smiled and shook my head at him, but said no more. When I had
swallowed the delicious milk, he said,

"Now I will return the bowl, and bring out my horse. I told them I had a
sick brother in the cart, recovering from a burning fever, or you would
have had some visitors. To make doubly sure, I locked you up."

"Would not that have been enough without the other?" I said, grieved at
his want of truth.

"No, I think not, and I'm not as particular as you are."

Presently we were driving off again, and for a mile or so in silence.
Then La Croissette, looking back at me, said,

"There are certainly good people on both sides. That poor wretch to
whom we gave the loaf was undoubtedly a good Huguenot; she would rather
starve and die than abjure her faith. But here, again, are a family of
Catholics, who are good, too, and believed every word I said, and
liberally supplied my wants."

"Doubtless there are good people on both sides," said I; "and if the
Catholics would believe it of us, we might yet live in peace and
quietness together. We have not harmed them--it is they who harm us."

"For your good, they will tell you."

"They may tell us, but we cannot believe it. Their compulsions are not
in the spirit of love."

La Croissette softly whistled, and presently talked of other things.
By-and-by he said,

"Now we are coming to a town, and you shall see some fun."

"Will it be quite safe?"

"Safer than anything else. It is a fair-day; I shall drive straight
into the market-place, blow my horn, and play the quack doctor. Nay,
you shall be my accomplice and blow the horn. Let me put you in costume
at once."

Saying which, he fished out a soiled scarlet cloak, gaily spangled,
which he threw over my shoulders, produced a half-mask with an enormous
red nose, with which he concealed the upper part of my face, covered my
head with a Spanish hat and feather, and gave me a horn.

"Now blow as much as you like," said he; "be as brazen as your trumpet."

I laughed, and entered into the joke; no one would suspect me for a
Huguenot.

La Croissette then disguised himself in Dr. Jameray's long black gown,
and added a pair of green spectacles, which certainly heightened the
effect. Having driven into the market-place, he placed a little