ugh the Pope and all the Guises were bitterly opposed to the match.
"But the marriage is certain to take place," he concluded, "and then, if
not before, I trust Charles will see that justice is done you."

"'Twas from Monsieur Bellievre, Jacques," I said, when the messenger had
departed with my reply; "he is at Blois once more. There is to be a
marriage between the king's sister and our Prince Henry, and the Court
is filled with excitement. Do you know, Jacques, I am getting weary of
this life. If we were at Blois I should have a chance of meeting the
king and pressing my claims. The longer we stay here, the more likely I
am to be forgotten."

"True, monsieur; in my opinion it was a mistake to come. When one is not
in sight, one is not in mind, and the Admiral has many weighty matters
to think about."

"I have told Monsieur Bellievre what I think, and asked his advice. But
still, I cannot return without the Admiral's commands."

The next morning Jacques came early to my room before I had risen.
"Monsieur," he said, "will you get up? A strange thing has happened."

"A strange thing?" I repeated, springing from the bed.

"A man has been slain--at least I believe the poor fellow is dead--on
the highroad. Urie found him; he was not dead then, and had sufficient
strength to whisper your name. Urie declares that he said quite
distinctly, 'Monsieur Le Blanc!' so he had him brought here."

"Do we know him?" I asked, now thoroughly roused.

"He is a stranger to me. I have never seen him before, and he does not
belong to these parts. But one thing is certain: he is no peaceable
citizen."

All this time I was hastily dressing, and now, filled with curiosity, I
accompanied Jacques to the room where the wounded man lay. He was a
sturdy-looking fellow, in the prime of life, tough, wiry, and with
muscles well developed by exercise. His dress was that of an ordinary
trooper; he wore a long knife at his girdle, and Urie had placed his
sword, which was broken and stained with blood, by his side. The mark of
an old scar disfigured his left cheek, and his chest showed that he had
been wounded more than once in his life. Jacques was certainly right in
saying he was no peaceable citizen.

Urie had fetched the cure, who had bandaged his hurts, but the worthy
priest shook his head at me as if to say, "There was really little use
in doing it."

"Foul work!" I exclaimed; "the man must have made a desperate struggle
for life. Where d