XIII--A TRAITOR 74 XIV--THE COUNCIL OF STATE 80 XV--CATHERINE’S VENGEANCE 86 XVI--THE ASTROLOGER’S CHAMBER 94 XVII--AT CHENONCEAU 101 XVIII--A DUTIFUL DAUGHTER 113 XIX--BEFORE THE STORM 122 XX--ST. BARTHOLOMEW 129 XXI--THE END OF CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI 139 XXII--THE LAST OF THE VALOIS 146 XXIII--DON JUAN 158 XXIV--CHARMANTE GABRIELLE 172 XXV--ITALIAN ART 186 XXVI--BIRON’S TREASON 198 XXVII--A COURT MARRIAGE 207 XXVIII--THE PREDICTION FULFILLED 215 XXIX--LOUIS XIII. 227 XXX--THE ORIEL WINDOW 235 XXXI--AN OMINOUS INTERVIEW 244 XXXII--LOVE AND TREASON 254 XXXIII--THE CARDINAL DUPED 263 XXXIV--THE MAID OF HONOUR 271 XXXV--AT VAL DE GRÂCE 283 XXXVI--THE QUEEN BEFORE THE COUNCIL 291 XXXVII--LOUISE DE LAFAYETTE 302 NOTES 317 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE THE CHÂTEAU OF CHENONCEAU _Frontispiece_ From the painting by Debat Ponson. (With permission of Ad. Braun et Cie.) PORTION OF THE ROOF OF THE CHÂTEAU OF CHAMBORD 2 CHÂTEAU OF AZAY LE RIDEAU 6 FRANCIS I. 10 From the painting by Titian. DOOR OF THE CHAPEL, CHÂTEAU OF AMBOISE 16 HENRY, DUKE OF MONTMORENCI, MARSHAL OF FRANCE 24 From a portrait by Balthasar Moncornet. THE CHEVALIER BAYARD 40 After A. de Neuville. (By permission of Estes & Lauriat.) QUEEN ELINOR 44 CHÂTEAU OF AMBOISE 48 DUCHESSE D’ÉTAMPES 52