Saint Bartholomew\'s Eve

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Philip therefore accepted the civilities offered to him, and was
invited to entertainments at many of the great houses in that part
of the county; where, indeed, he was made a good deal of--his fine
figure, the ease and courtesy of his bearing, and the reputation he
had gained for bravery, rendering him a general favourite.

At the end of six months he received a letter from his cousin,
urging him to return.

"Spring has now begun, Philip. At present things are going on
quietly, and the king seems determined that the peace shall be
kept. The Constable Montmorency is still very high in favour, and
the Guises are sulking on their estates. The Huguenot nobles are
all well received at court, where they go in numbers, to pay their
respect to the king and to assure him of their devotion. I have
been there with my mother, and the king was mightily civil, and
congratulated me on having been knighted by Coligny. We were
present at his majesty's marriage with the daughter of the Emperor
of Germany. The show was a very fine one, and everything pleasant.

"There is a report that, in order to put an end to all further
troubles, and to bind both parties in friendship, the king has
proposed a marriage between his sister Marguerite and Henry of
Navarre. We all trust that it will take place, for it will indeed
be a grand thing for us of the reformed faith.

"It is rumoured that Queen Jeanne is by no means eager for the
match, fearing that Henry, once at Paris, will abandon the simple
customs in which he has been brought up; and may even be led away,
by the influence of Marguerite and the court, to abandon his faith.
Her first fear, I think, is likely enough to be realized; for it
seems to me that he has been brought up somewhat too strictly, and
being, I am sure, naturally fond of pleasure, he is likely enough
to share in the gaieties of the court of Paris. As to her other
fear, I cannot think there is foundation for it. Henry is certainly
ambitious and very politic, and he has talked often and freely with
me, when we have been alone together. He has spoken, once or twice,
of his chances of succeeding to the throne of France. They are not
great, seeing that three lives stand between it and him and, now
that the king has married, they are more remote than before. Still
there is the chance; and he once said to me:

"'One thing seems to me to be certain, Francois: supposing Charles
of Valois and his two brothers died without leaving heirs, France
would not accept a Huguenot king. There would be the Guises, and
the priests, and the papacy, and Spain all thrown in the scale
against him.'

"'That is likely enough, prince,' I said; 'and methinks your lot
would be preferable, as King of Navarre, to that of King of France.
However, happily there is no reason for supposing that the king and
his two brothers will die without heirs.'

"He did not speak for some time, but sat there thinking. You know
the way he has. Methinks, Philip, that when he comes to man's
estate, and is King of Navarre, the Guises will find in him a very
different opponent to deal with than the leaders of the Huguenots
have been so far.

"The Admiral is so honest and loyal and truthful, himself, that he
is ill fitted to match the subtlety of the queen mother, or the
deceit and falsehood of the Guises. The Queen of Navarre is a
heroine and a saint but, although a wise woman, she is no match for
intriguers. Conde was a gallant soldier, but he hated politics.

"Henry of Navarre will be an opponent of another sort. When I first
knew him, I thought him the frankest and simplest of young princes;
and that is what most think him, still. But I am sure he is much
more than that. Having been about his person for months, and being
the youngest of his companions--most of whom were stern, earnest
Huguenot nobles--he was a great deal with me, and talked with me as
he did not with the others. It seems to me that he has two
characters: the one what he seems to be--light hearted, merry,
straightforward, and outspoken; the other thoughtful, astute,
ambitious, and politic, studying men closely, and adapting himself
to their moods.

"I don't pretend to understand him at all--he is altogether beyond
me; but I am sure he will be a great leader, some day. I think you
would understand him better than I should, and I know he thinks so,
too. Of course, you had your own duties all through the campaign,
and saw but little of him; but more than once he said:

"'I wish I had your English cousin with me. I like you much,
Laville; but your cousin is more like myself, and I should learn
much of him. You are brave and merry and good-tempered, and so is
he; but he has a longer head than you have,'--which I know is quite
true--'you would be quite content to spend your life at court,
Francois; where you would make a good figure, and would take things
as they come. He would not. If he did not like things he would
intrigue, he would look below the surface, he would join a party,
he would be capable of waiting, biding his time. I am only
seventeen, Francois; but it is of all things the most important for
a prince to learn to read men, and to study their characters, and I
am getting on.

"'Your cousin is not ambitious. He would never conspire for his own
advantage, but he would be an invaluable minister and adviser, to a
prince in difficulties. The Admiral meant well, but he was wrong in
refusing to let me have Philip Fletcher. When I am my own master I
will have him, if I can catch him; but I do not suppose that I
shall, because of that very fault of not being ambitious. He has
made his own plans, and is bent, as he told me, on returning to
England; and nothing that I can offer him will, I am sure, alter
his determination. But it is a pity, a great pity.'

"By all this you see, Philip, that those who think the Prince of
Navarre merely a merry, careless young fellow, who is likely to
rule his little kingdom in patriarchal fashion; and to trouble
himself with nothing outside, so long as his subjects are contented
and allowed to worship in their own way, are likely to find
themselves sorely mistaken. However, if you come over soon, you
will be able to judge for yourself.

"The Queen of Navarre saw a great deal of the countess, my mother,
when they were at La Rochelle together; and has invited her to pay
her a visit at Bearn, and the prince has requested me to accompany
her. Of course if you come over you will go with us, and will be
sure of a hearty welcome from Henry. We shall have some good
hunting, and there is no court grandeur, and certainly no more
state than we have at our chateau. In fact, my good mother is a
much more important personage, there, than is Jeanne of Navarre at
Bearn."

This letter hastened Philip's departure. The prospect of hunting in
the mountains of Navarre was a pleasant one. He liked the young
prince; and had, in the short time he had been his companion,
perceived that there was much more in him than appeared on the
surface; and that, beside his frank bonhomie manner, there was a
fund of shrewdness and common sense. Moreover, without being
ambitious, it is pleasant for a young man to know that one, who may
some day be a great prince, has conceived a good opinion of him.

He took Francois' letter down to his uncle Gaspard, and read
portions of it to him. Gaspard sat thoughtful, for some time, after
he had finished.

"It is new to me," he said at last. "I believed the general report
that Henry of Navarre was a frank, careless young fellow, fond of
the chase, and, like his mother, averse to all court ceremony;
likely enough to make a good soldier, but without ambition, and
without marked talent. If what Francois says is true--and it seems
that you are inclined to agree with him--it may make a great
difference in the future of France. The misfortune of the
Huguenots, hitherto, has been that they have been ready to fall
into any trap that the court of France might set for them and, on
the strength of a few hollow promises, to throw away all the
advantages they had gained by their efforts and courage, in spite
of their experience that those promises were always broken, as soon
as they laid down their arms.

"In such an unequal contest they must always be worsted and, honest
and straightforward themselves, they are no match for men who have
neither truth nor conscience. If they had but a leader as politic
and astute as the queen mother and the Guises, they might possibly
gain their ends. If Henry of Navarre turns out a wise and politic
prince, ready to match his foes with their own weapons, he may win
for the Huguenots what they will never gain with their own swords.

"But mind you, they will hardly thank him for it. My wife and your
mother would be horrified were I to say that, as a Catholic, Henry
of Navarre would be able to do vastly more, to heal the long open
sore and to secure freedom of worship for the Huguenots, than he
ever could do as a Huguenot. Indeed, I quite agree with what he
says, that as a Huguenot he can never hold the throne of France."

Philip uttered an exclamation of indignation.

"You cannot think, uncle, that he will ever change his religion?"

"I know nothing about him, beyond what you and your cousin say,
Philip. There are Huguenots, and Huguenots. There are men who would
die at the stake, rather than give up one iota of their faith.
There are men who think that the Reformed faith is better and purer
than the Catholic, but who nevertheless would be willing to make
considerable concessions, in the interest of peace. You must
remember that, when princes and princesses marry, they generally
embrace the faith of their husbands; and when, lately, Queen
Elizabeth was talking of marrying the Prince of Anjou, she made it
one of the conditions that he should turn Protestant, and the
demand was not considered to be insurmountable. It may be that the
time will come when Henry of Navarre may consider the throne of
France, freedom of worship, and a general peace, cheaply purchased
at the cost of attending mass. If he does so, doubtless the
Huguenots would be grieved and indignant; but so far as they are
concerned, it would be the best thing. But of course, we are only
talking now of what he might do, should nought but his religion
stand between him and the throne of France. As King of Navarre,
simply, his interest would be all the other way, and he would
doubtless remain a staunch Huguenot.

"Of course, Philip, I am speaking without knowing this young
prince. I am simply arguing as to what an astute and politic man,
in his position, not over earnest as to matters of faith, would be
likely to do."

Three days later, Philip rode to London with Pierre and embarked
for La Rochelle. His uncle had amply supplied him with funds, but
his father insisted upon his taking a handsome sum from him.

"Although you did not require much money before, Philip--and
Gaspard told me that you did not draw, from his agent at La
Rochelle, a third of the sum he had placed for you in his hands--it
will be different now. You had no expenses before, save the pay of
your men, and the cost of their food and your own; but in time of
peace there are many expenses, and I would not that you should be,
in any way, short of money. You can place the greater portion of it
in the hands of Maitre Bertram, and draw it as you require. At any
rate, it is better in your hands than lying in that chest in the
corner. Your mother and I have no need for it, and it would take
away half her pleasure in her work, were the earnings not used
partly for your advantage."

The ship made a quick run to La Rochelle, and the next morning
Philip rode for Laville. He had not been there since the battle of
Moncontour; and although he knew that it had been burnt by the
Royalists, shortly afterwards, it gave him a shock to see, as he
rode through the gate, how great a change had taken place. The
central portion had been repaired, but the walls were still
blackened with smoke. The wings stood empty and roofless, and the
ample stables, storehouses, and buildings for the retainers had
disappeared.

His aunt received him with great kindness, and Francois was
delighted to see him again.

"Yes, it is a change, Philip," the countess said, as she saw his
eyes glancing round the apartment. "However, I have grown
accustomed to it, and scarce notice it now. Fortunately I have
ample means for rebuilding the chateau, for I have led a quiet life
for some years; and as the count my husband, being a Huguenot, was
not near the court from the time the troubles began, our revenues
have for a long time been accumulating; and much of it has been
sent to my sister's husband, and has been invested by him in
England. There Francois agrees with me that it should remain.

"There is at present peace here, but who can say how long it will
last? One thing is certain, that should war break out again, it
will centre round La Rochelle; and I might be once more forced to
leave the chateau at the mercy of the Royalists. It would, then, be
folly to spend a crown upon doing more than is sufficient for our
necessities. We only keep such retainers as are absolutely
necessary for our service. There are but eight horses in the
stables, the rest are all out on the farms and, should the troubles
recommence, we shall soon find riders for them."

"You have just arrived in time, Philip," Francois said presently,
"for we start at the end of this week for Bearn and, although you
could have followed us, I am right glad that you have arrived in
time to ride with us. All your men are still here."

"I saw Eustace and Henri, as I rode in," Philip said.

"The other two work in the garden. Of course, their days for
fighting are over. They could doubtless strike a blow in defence of
the chateau, but they have not recovered sufficiently from their
wounds ever to ride as men-at-arms again. However, two will suffice
for your needs, at present.

"I shall take four of my own men, for the country is still far from
safe for travelling. Many of the disbanded soldiers have turned
robbers and, although the royal governors hunt down and string up
many, they are still so numerous that travellers from one town to
another always journey in strong parties, for protection.

"How did Pierre get on, in England?"

"He was glad to return here again, Francois; although he got on
well enough, as our house servants are French, as are also many of
those on the farm, and he became quite a favourite with every one.
But he is of a restless nature, and grew tired of idleness."

Three days later, the party set out from Laville. The countess rode
on horseback, and her female attendant en croupe behind one of the
troopers. They journeyed by easy stages, stopping sometimes at
hostelries in the towns, but more often at chateaux belonging to
gentlemen known to the countess or her son. They several times came
upon groups of rough-looking men; but the two gentlemen, their
servants, and the six fully-armed retainers were a force too
formidable to be meddled with, and they arrived safely at Bearn.

The royal abode was a modest building, far less stately than was
Laville, before its ruin. It stood a short distance out of the
town, where they had left the men-at-arms, with instructions to
find lodgings for themselves and their horses. As they arrived at
the entrance, Prince Henri himself ran down the steps, in a dress
as plain as that which would be worn by an ordinary citizen.

"Welcome to Bearn," he said. "It is a modest palace, countess; and
I am a much less important person, here, than when I was supposed
to be commanding our army."

He assisted her to alight, and then rang a bell. A man came round
from the back of the house, and took the horse from Pierre, who was
holding it; while Henri entered the house with the countess. A
minute later, he ran out from the house again.

"Now that I have handed over the countess to my mother, I can speak
to you both," he said heartily. "I am pleased to see you, Francois,
and you too, Monsieur Philip."

"My cousin insisted on my coming with him, prince, and assured me
that you would not be displeased at the liberty. But of course, I
intend to quarter myself in the town."

"You will do no such thing," the prince said. "We are poor in
Bearn, as poor as church mice; but not so poor that we cannot
entertain a friend. Your bedroom is prepared for you."

Philip looked surprised.

"You don't suppose," the prince said, laughing, "that people can
come and go, in this kingdom of ours, without being noticed. We are
weak, and for that very reason we must be on our guard. Half the
people who come here come for a purpose. They come from the king,
or from Philip of Spain, or from the Guises, and most of them mean
mischief of some sort. So you see, we like to know beforehand and,
unless they ride very fast, we are sure to get twenty-four hours'
notice before they arrive.

"Then, you see, if we want a little more time, a horse may cast its
shoe, or some of the baggage may be missing, or perhaps an
important paper somehow gets mislaid. It is curious how often these
things happen. Then, when they arrive here they find that I have,
as usual, gone off for a fortnight's hunting among the mountains;
and that, perhaps, my mother has started for Nerac.

"We heard yesterday morning that you had crossed the frontier, and
that the countess had with her her son, and a big young Englishman,
whose identity I had no difficulty in guessing."

"And we met with no misfortunes by the way, prince," Francois said,
smiling.

"No," the prince laughed, "these things do not happen always."

They had so far stood on the steps, chatting. The two servants had
followed the lackey, with their own and their masters' horses. The
prince led the way indoors, and they were heartily welcomed by the
queen, who kept no more state at Bearn than would be observed by
any petty nobleman in France.

On the following day, the two friends started with the prince for
the mountains; and were away for three weeks, during which time
they hunted the wild boar, killed several wolves, and shot five or
six wild goats. They were attended only by two or three huntsmen,
and their three personal servants. They slept sometimes in the huts
of shepherds, or charcoal burners; sometimes in the forest, in
spite of the cold, which was often severe.

"What do you say about this marriage which is being arranged for
me?" the prince asked suddenly, one night, as they were sitting by
a huge fire in the forest.

"It ought to be a great thing for the Reformed religion, if it is
agreeable to your highness," Francois said cautiously.

"A politic answer, Monsieur de Laville.

"What say you, Philip?"

"It is a matter too deep for me to venture an opinion," Philip
said. "There is doubtless much to be said, on both sides. For
example--you are a fisherman, prince?"

"Only moderately so, Philip; but what has that to do with it?"

"I would say, sir, that when a fisherman hooks an exceedingly large
fish, it is just possible that, instead of landing it, the fish may
pull him into the water."

The prince laughed.

"You have hit it exactly, Monsieur Philip. That is just the way I
look at it. Marguerite of Valois is, indeed, a very big fish
compared with the Prince of Bearn; and it is not only she who would
pull, but there are others, and even bigger fish, who would pull
with her. My good mother has fears that, if I once tasted the
gaieties of the court of France, I should be ruined, body and soul.

"Now I have rather an inclination for the said gaieties, and that
prospect does not terrify me as it does her. But there are things
which alarm me, more than gaieties. There is the king who, except
when he occasionally gets into a rage, and takes his own course, is
but a tool in the hands of Catharine de Medici. There is Anjou, who
made a jest of the dead body of my uncle Conde. There are Lorraine
and the Guises, there are the priests, and there is the turbulent
mob of Paris. It seems to me that, instead of being the fisherman,
I should be like a very small fish, enclosed in a very strong net."

And he looked thoughtfully into the fire.

"The king is, at present, with us; but his plighted word is worth
nothing."

"But once married," Francois said, "you would have the princess on
your side, and being then brother-in-law to the king, you would be
safe from attack."

"The king has no great love for his own brothers," Henri said; "but
I am not supposing that even Charles would lay hands on me, after
inviting me to his court to marry his sister. He would not venture
upon that, before the eyes of all Europe. It is the strain and the
pressure that I fear. A girl who is sent to a nunnery, however much
she may hate becoming a nun, can no more escape than a fly from the
meshes of a spider. I doubt not that it seems, to all the Huguenots
of France, that for me to marry Marguerite of Valois would be more
than a great victory won for their cause; but I have my doubts.
However, in a matter like this I am not a free agent.

"The Huguenot lords are all delighted at the prospect. My mother is
still undecided. You see, I am practically as much in a net, here,
as I shall be at Paris, if this marriage is made. I am rather glad
the decision does not rest with me. I shall simply go with the
stream; some day, perhaps, I shall be strong enough to swim against
it. I hope that, at any rate, if I ride to Paris to marry
Marguerite of Valois, you will both accompany me."

Chapter 19: In A Net.

After their return from hunting, they remained for another
fortnight at Bearn; and then started, the countess and Francois to
return home, and Philip to pay a visit to the Count de Valecourt,
at his chateau in Dauphiny, in accordance with the promise he had
given him to visit him on his return to France. Here he remained
for a month. The count treated him with the warmest hospitality,
and introduced him to all his friends as the saviour of his
daughter.

Claire had grown much since he had seen her, when he had ridden
over with her father to Landres, a year before. She was now nearly
sixteen, and was fast growing into womanhood.

Philip was already acquainted with many of the nobles and gentry of
Dauphiny who had joined the Admiral's army and, after leaving
Valecourt, he stayed for a short time at several of their chateaux;
and it was autumn before he joined Francois at Laville. The
inhabited portion of the chateau had been enlarged and made more
comfortable, for the king was still firm in his decision that peace
should be preserved, and showed marked favour to the section of the
court that opposed any persecution of the Huguenots. He had further
shown his desire for the friendship of the Protestant powers by the
negotiations that had been carried on for the marriage of the Duke
of Anjou to Queen Elizabeth.

"I have news for you," Francois said. "The king has invited the
Admiral to visit him. It has, of course, been a matter of great
debate whether Coligny should trust himself at court, many of his
friends strongly dissuading him; but he deems it best, in the
interests of our religion, that he should accept the invitation;
and he is going to set out next week for Blois, where the king now
is with the court. He will take only a few of his friends with him.
He is perfectly aware of the risk he runs but, to those who entreat
him not to trust himself at court, he says his going there may be a
benefit to the cause, and that his life is as nothing in the scale.
However, he has declined the offers that have been made by many
gentlemen to accompany him, and only three or four of his personal
friends ride with him."

"No doubt he acts wisely, there," Philip said. "It would be
well-nigh destruction to our cause, should anything befall him now;
and the fewer of our leaders in Charles's hands, the less
temptation to the court to seize them.

"But I do think it possible that good may come of Coligny, himself,
going there. He exercises wonderful influence over all who come in
contact with him, and he may be able to counterbalance the
intrigues of the Catholic party, and confirm the king in his
present good intentions towards us."

"I saw him two days ago, and offered to ride in his train,"
Francois said; "but he refused, decidedly, to let me.

"'The friends who will accompany me,' he said, 'have, like myself,
well-nigh done their work. The future is for you and those who are
young. I cannot dream that the king would do wrong to invited
guests; but should aught happen, the blow shall fall upon none of
those who should be the leaders of the next generation.'"

The news of the reception of the Admiral, at Blois, was anxiously
awaited by the Huguenots of the west; and there was great joy when
they heard that he had been received most graciously by the king,
who had embraced him, and protested that he regarded it as one of
the happiest days in his life; as he saw, in his return to his
side, the end of trouble and an assurance of future tranquillity.
Even Catharine de Medici received the Admiral with warmth. The king
presented him, from his private purse, with the large sum of a
hundred thousand livres; to make good some of the great losses he
had suffered in the war. He also ordered that he should receive,
for a year, the revenues of his brother the cardinal, who had
lately died; and appointed him guardian of one of the great
estates, during the minority of its heir--a post which brought with
it considerable profits.

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