"I esteem it a high honour to entertain such guests as yourself and Admiral Coligny.

Pray enter at once.

My son will ride out to welcome the princess, and the rest of your party." Francois at once leapt on to a horse and galloped off, and in a few minutes the party arrived.

Their numbers had been considerably increased since they left Noyers, as they had been joined by many Huguenot gentlemen on the way, and they now numbered nearly four hundred men.
"We have grown like a snowball, since we started," the prince said; "and I am ashamed to invade your chateau with such an army." "It is a great honour, prince.

We had heard a rumour that an attempt had been made to seize you; and that you had disappeared, no one knew whither, and men thought that you were directing your course towards Germany; but little did we dream of seeing you here, in the west." It was not until evening that the tale of the journey across France, with its many hazards and adventures, was told; for the countess was fully occupied in seeing to the comforts of her guests of higher degree, while Francois saw that the men-at-arms and others were bestowed as comfortably as might be.