, "the assassin is in this house!" and the
next minute, having burst open the doors, we were swarming into the
building. Save for a deaf old woman and a horse-boy the place was empty,
and a howl of rage rose from the searchers.

Nothing could be got from the old woman, but Felix, clutching the boy by
the throat, demanded sternly "Where is the assassin? Speak, or I will
kill you!"

"The man who was upstairs has got away through the cloisters, monsieur.
I do not know him. I was only told to bring a swift horse from my
master's stables."

"Who is your master?"

"The Duke of Guise, monsieur," and at that another howl of execration
went up, several men shouting "Guise is the murderer! Kill the Duke of
Guise!"

"Whose house is this?" I asked.

The boy could not answer, but a voice cried out "Canon Vallemur's! He
used to be the Duke's tutor! Guise is the assassin!"

"Yes, yes! Let us kill Guise!"

"Here is the weapon," cried one of the searchers, bringing forward an
arquebus which he had found in the window; "it has Monseigneur's arms
stamped on it; it must belong to one of his body-guard. Guise and Anjou
are the murderers!"

"Come," exclaimed Felix, "we can do nothing here; the fellow is out of
the city by now!"

An excited crowd had gathered in front of the _Hotel Coligny_, but,
pushing the people roughly aside, we made our way into the courtyard.

"Is he dead?" asked Felix of one of our comrades.

"No; one bullet carried off the first finger of his right hand; the
other wounded him seriously in the left arm. Pare"--the king's own
surgeon--"is attending him. They say Charles is furious, but I do not
know; all his family are accomplished actors. Were you there? Did you
see it done? Tell us all about it," and they gathered round as Felix
described the incident and the search in the empty house.

"Guise is the real murderer!" exclaimed one angrily.

"Or Anjou!"

"Or both!"

"If Charles doesn't punish them, we won't rest till we have made an end
of him and his whole stock!"

"'Tis likely he is as guilty as the rest!"

"And Coligny trusts him implicitly!"

"The Admiral is too trustful and kind-hearted! Did you hear what he said
to Des Pruneaux? 'I forgive freely and with all my heart both him that
struck me and those who incited him to do it.' If I catch the fellow, I
will tear him limb from limb!"

"Let us capture Guise and Anjou," cried Felix, "and if the Admiral dies
hang them both."

"Bravo, Bell