.

THE COMPANY OF THE BLEEDING HEART.
"But why," Madame St.Lo asked, sticking her arms akimbo, "why stay in this forsaken place a day and a night, when six hours in the saddle would set us in Angers ?" "Because," Tavannes replied coldly--he and his cousin were walking before the gateway of the inn--"the Countess is not well, and will be the better, I think, for staying a day." "She slept soundly enough! I'll answer for that!" He shrugged his shoulders.
"She never raised her head this morning, though my women were shrieking 'Murder!' next door, and--Name of Heaven!" Madame resumed, after breaking off abruptly, and shading her eyes with her hand, "what comes here?
Is it a funeral?
Or a pilgrimage?
If all the priests about here are as black, no wonder M.Rabelais fell out with them!" The inn stood without the walls for the convenience of those who wished to take the road early: a little also, perhaps, because food and forage were cheaper, and the wine paid no town-dues.

Four great roads met before the house, along the most easterly of which the sombre company which had caught Madame St.Lo's attention could be seen approaching.

At first Count Hannibal supposed with his companion that the travellers were conveying to the grave the corpse of some person of distinction; for the _cortege_ consisted mainly of priests and the like mounted on mules, and clothed for the most part in black.

Black also was the small banner which waved above them, and bore in place of arms the emblem of the Bleeding Heart.