"Who can tell, mademoiselle! But a man's life is mostly of his own making, and a woman's too for the matter of that. There is an invariable law of Nature or of God. It is that the breaker pays, and sooner or later all learn this." "_Ciel_! how serious you are!" And her brown eyes met mine. "The stars should never laugh, mademoiselle." "They cried over me when my fortune was told." "May I ask----" "Oh yes!--but fortune for fortune. If I tell you mine will you tell me yours?" "Certainly." "Well, mine was short: it was simply to beware of a church under the ground and a woman in black and white. I have never seen such a church nor ever met such a woman." I thought of Diane of Valentinois and her favourite colours, and a sudden chill came over me. For a moment I stood silent. "Now for yours, monsieur," she said gaily. "Mine! Well, it was wrapped up in long names, and I never could make aught of it. As far as I remember, Aquarius, Mars, and Mercury are in the ascendant, and the face of Venus is from me. In the second house Sol is in Pisces. In the fifth Luna in Gemini, and Jupiter----" She put her hands to her ears. "Enough, monsieur! I almost fear to look out, lest I should see a cauldron of burning sulphur, and witches dancing around it." And as she spoke there came to us the distant echoes of hoarse laughter. I recognised the voices of the landlord and Capus, my man-at-arms. "'Tis not Capus' business to hob-nob with the host at this hour, mademoiselle. I had better go and see that he keeps stricter watch." With this I made a half movement to go, but she stayed me with a little gesture of command. "Monsieur Broussel, I have a favour to ask of you; will you grant it?" "Mademoiselle, all that is in my power I will do. What is it?" For answer she stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder, her eyes looking straight into mine. "Monsieur, a brave man like you should not be a gaoler of women. Let me free!" I made no reply; but as her eyes, soft and imploring, met mine all the love in my heart rose within me. For her sake no Roman constancy would have held me to any vow; but I knew that Montluc had spoken the truth, I knew the danger she was in, and that the one chance of her safety lay in her being under the Queen's protection. "Mademoiselle!" I stammered; but she broke in on me. "Yes! You will let me go, will you not? Monsieur, I hate the thought of Paris and its dark intrigues; and the fate of those who belong to my faith is ever with me, like a horrible dream. I dread, I fear, each hour that brings me nearer to what I know will be my death. Monsieur, as you are a gentleman, let me free. Take me to Chatillon, and leave me there with the Cardinal. Odet de Coligny, prince of the Church though he is, is of my faith. I shall be safe there--a thousand times safer than a prisoner in Paris. Oh, say you will!"