on the Huguenot cities and provinces of Western France.  The Chevalier made several expeditions to confer with his son, and to keep up his relations with the network of spies whom he had spread over the Quinet provinces.  The prisoners were so much separated from all intercourse with the dependants that they were entirely ignorant of the object of his absence from home.  On these occasions they never left their tower and its court, and had no enlivenment save an occasional gift of dainties or message of inquiry from the ladies at Bellaise.  These were brought by a handsome but slight, pale lad called Aime de Selinville, a relative of the late Count, as he told them, who had come to act as a gentleman attendant upon the widowed countess.  The brothers rather wondered how he was disposed of at the convent, but all there was so contrary to their preconceived notions that they acquiesced.  The first time he arrived it was on a long, hot summer day, and he then brought them a cool iced sherbet in two separate flasks, that for Philip being mixed with wine, which was omitted for Berenger; and the youth stood lingering and watching, anxious, he said, to be able to tell his lady how the drinks were approved.  Both were excellent, and to that effect the prisoners replied; but no sooner was the messenger gone than Berenger said smilingly, ‘That was a love potion, Phil.’

‘And you drank it!’ cried Philip, in horror.

’I did not think of it till I saw how the boy’s eyes were gazing curiously at me as I swallowed it.  You look at me as curiously, Phil.  Are you expecting it to work?  Shall I be at the fair lady’s feet next time we meet?’

‘How can you defy it, Berry?’

’Nay, Phil; holy wedded love is not to be dispelled by a mountebank’s decoction.’

‘But suppose it were poisonous, Berry, what can be done?’ cried Philip, starting up in dismay.

’Then you would go home, Phil, and this would be over.  But’—­ seeing his brother’s terror—­’there is no fear of that.  She is not like to wish to poison me.’

And the potion proved equally ineffective on mind and body, as indeed did all the manipulations exercised upon a little waxen image that was supposed to represent M. le Baron.  Another figure was offered to Diane, in feminine form, with black beads for eyes and a black plaster for hair, which, when stuck full of pins and roasted before the fire, was to cause Eustacie to peak and pine correspondingly.  But from this measure Diane shrank.  If aught was done against her rival it must be by her father and brother, not by herself; and she would not feel herself directly injuring her little cousin, nor sinking herself below him whom she loved.  Once his wife, she would be good for ever, held up by his strength.