Gabriel, amid all the clashing and clanging, never stirred from his place, nor did he once lay his hand upon his sword; he simply stood gazing at the mad blows which were raining about him, as if he had been the image of France among her foes. The Protestants, inferior in numbers and in discipline, began to falter. La Renaudie in the tumult found himself face to face with Pardaillan once more. "Engage with me!" he cried; "let me at least die by your hand." "Ah!" said Pardaillan, "the one of us two who slays the other will be the more generous." They crossed swords with much vigor. The blows they dealt resounded upon their coats-of-mail like hammer-strokes upon the anvil. La Renaudie circled about Pardaillan, who, sitting firmly on his saddle, parried and thrust without token of weariness. Two rivals thirsting for vengeance could not have seemed more implacable. At last La Renaudie buried his sword in the breast of Pardaillan, who fell headlong from his horse. But the cry which followed the fatal blow came from the lips of La Renaudie. Happily for the victor, he had not even the time to look upon his disastrous victory, for Montigny, Pardaillan's page, levelled his arquebuse at him and fired, and he fell from his horse mortally wounded. Nevertheless, before he expired La Renaudie yet retained strength sufficient to strike dead upon the spot, with a backward stroke of his sword, the page who had shot him. Around these three bodies the battle waged more furiously than ever. But the Huguenots were clearly worsted; and in a short time, being deprived of their leader, they were utterly routed. The greater number of them were killed; but a few were taken prisoners, and some escaped. This horrible bloody affray lasted less than ten minutes. The royal troopers prepared to return to Amboise, and the bodies of La Renaudie and Pardaillan were placed upon the same horse. [Illustration: The Forest of Château-Regnault.] Gabriel, who, despite his eager longing, and spared without doubt by both sides, had not received a scratch, gazed mournfully at the two lifeless bodies in which, but a few moments before, had beat the two noblest hearts he had ever known. "Which of the two was the braver?" he asked himself. "Which better loved the other? Which is the greater loss to his unhappy country?" CHAPTER XXVII A GLIMPSE AT THE POLITICS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY Even after the surrender of the Château de Noizai, and the skirmish in the forest of Château-Regnault, the whole affair was not at an end. The majority of the conspirators of Nantes had not been notified of these two repulses which their party had met with, and were still on their way to Amboise, prepared to assault the place that night. But we know that thanks to the precise information furnished by Lignières, they were expected.