the coachman removed
Monseigneur's favours from his hat, and covered his livery with a blue
overall.

"Now," I said, when the journey was resumed, tell me why you asked us to
meet you at the Louvre, and then failed to keep the appointment!"

"I will answer the last part of the question first; the explanation is
very simple. Monseigneur needed my attendance, and when I was able to
leave him it was too late."

"You intended to give us warning of this horrible conspiracy?"

"No, I could not betray my patron, but I intended to save you and
Monsieur Bellievre. I felt sure you would not leave your leader; I
should have despised you if you had."

"And rightly, too."

"So," he continued, "I arranged to carry you off by force, and keep you
shut up until the danger was past. Monseigneur, without intending it,
disturbed my plans. Guessing you would return to Coligny's _hotel_ I
followed as quickly as possible with a few rascals who would do my
bidding, and ask no questions. You were not there."

"The troopers reached the _hotel_ before us," I explained.

"I guessed what had happened, and searched the streets. Finally I
reached the house where you had taken refuge. I was too late for
Monsieur Bellievre; he was dead."

"As true a heart as beat in France!" I said.

"Yes," agreed L'Estang, "he was a gallant youngster. Turning from him I
saw you fall, and ran across the room. The mob recognized me as
Monseigneur's attendant, or it would have gone hard with you. Even as it
was--but there, do the details matter? I got you away at last to the
room I had prepared; then it was necessary to return to my patron."

I endeavoured to thank him, but he would hear nothing, saying, "A
promise to the dead is sacred, monsieur."

"Charles may not be a strong king," I remarked some time later, "but he
plays the hypocrite vastly well. One would have thought from his visit
to the Admiral that he was devoured by grief."

"He was both sorry and angry at the attempt on Coligny's life; it was
not his work."

"But surely he must have given orders for the massacre!"

"Afterwards, monsieur. At first I do not believe that even Guise meant
to do more than kill Coligny and a few of the most powerful leaders. But
they were blinded by panic; carried away by their own fears, and they
swept Charles into the same stream."

"The world will say the horrible tragedy was planned from the
beginning."

"The world may be right, but I hardly think so. No