At the present moment she had committed herself more deeply than was her wont to the Huguenots.

Their leaders, the Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the King of Navarre, and the Prince of Conde, were supposed to be high in favour, while the chiefs of the other party, the Duke of Guise, and the two Cardinals of his house, the Cardinal of Lorraine and the Cardinal of Guise, were in disgrace; which, as it seemed, even their friend at court, the queen's favourite son, Henry of Anjou, was unable to overcome.
Such was the outward aspect of things in August, 1572, but there were not wanting rumours that already Coligny, taking advantage of the footing given him, had gained an influence over the young king, which threatened Catharine de' Medici herself.

The admiral, therefore, to whom the Huguenot half of France had long looked as to its leader, was now the object of the closest interest to all; the Guise faction, hating him--as the alleged assassin of the Duke of Guise--with an intensity which probably was not to be found in the affection of his friends, popular with the latter as he was.
Still, many who were not Huguenots had a regard for him as a great Frenchman and a gallant soldier.

We--though we were of the old faith, and the other side--had heard much of him, and much good.

The Vicomte had spoken of him always as a great man, a man mistaken, but brave, honest and capable in his error.