attitude　to　suitors　and　above　all　to　the　duty　he　owed　to　the
  confidence　and　friendship　of　the　Prince　her　husband。　The　Comte
  was　overwhelmed　by　shame　and　distress。　She　tried　to　console　him
  by　assuring　him　that　she　would　forget　entirely　what　he　had　just
  said　to　her　and　would　always　look　on　him　as　her　best　friend；
  assurances　which　were　small　consolation　to　the　Comte　as　one　might
  imagine。　He　felt　the　disdain　which　was　implicit　in　all　that　the
  Princess　had　said；　and　seeing　her　the　next　day　with　her　customary
  untroubled　looks　redoubled　his　misery。
  The　Princess　continued　to　show　him　the　same　goodwill　as　before
  and　even　discussed　her　former　attachment　to　the　Duc　de　Guise；
  saying　that　she　was　pleased　that　his　increasing　fame　showed　that
  he　was　worthy　of　the　affection　she　had　once　had　for　him。　These
  demonstrations　of　confidence；　which　were　once　so　dear　to　the
  Comte；　he　now　found　insupportable；　but　he　did　not　dare　say　as
  much　to　the　Princess；　though　he　did　sometimes　remind　her　of　what
  he　had　so　rashly　confessed　to　her。
  After　an　absence　of　two　years；　peace　having　been　declared；　the
  Prince　de　Montpensier　returned　to　his　wife；　his　renown　enhanced
  by　his　behaviour　at　the　siege　of　Paris　and　the　battle　of
  St。Denis。　He　was　surprised　to　find　the　beauty　of　the　Princess
  blooming　in　such　perfection；　and　being　of　a　naturally　jealous
  disposition　he　was　a　little　put　out　of　humour　by　the　realisation
  that　this　beauty　would　be　displayed　to　others　beside　himself。　He
  was　delighted　to　see　once　more　the　Comte；　for　whom　his　affection
  was　in　no　way　diminished。　He　asked　him　for　confidential　details
  about　his　wife's　character　and　temperament；　for　she　was　almost　a
  stranger　to　him　because　of　the　little　time　during　which　they　had
  lived　together。　The　Comte；　with　the　utmost　sincerity；　as　if　he
  himself　were　not　enamoured；　told　the　Prince　everything　he　knew
  about　the　Princess　which　would　encourage　her　husband's　love　of
  her；　and　he　also　suggested　to　Madame　de　Montpensier　all　the
  measures　she　might　take　to　win　the　heart　and　respect　of　her
  spouse。　The　Comte's　devotion　led　him　to　think　of　nothing　but　what
  would　increase　the　happiness　and　well…being　of　the　Princess　and
  to　forget　without　difficulty　the　interest　which　lovers　usually
  have　in　stirring　up　trouble　between　the　objects　of　their
  affection　and　their　marital　partners。
  The　peace　was　only　shortlived。　War　soon　broke　out　again　by　reason
  of　a　plot　by　the　King　to　arrest　the　Prince　de　Condee　and　Admiral
  Chatillon　at　Noyers。　As　a　result　of　the　military　preparations　the
  Prince　de　Montpensier　was　forced　to　leave　his　wife　and　report　for
  duty。　Chabannes；　who　had　been　restored　to　the　Queen's　favour；
  went　with　him。　It　was　not　without　much　sorrow　that　he　left　the
  Princess；　while　she；　for　her　part；　was　distressed　to　think　of　the
  perils　to　which　the　war　might　expose　her　husband。
  The　leaders　of　the　Huguenots　retired　to　La　Rochelle。　They　held
  Poitou　and　Saintongne；　the　war　flared　up　again　and　the　King
  assembled　all　his　troops。　His　brother；　the　Duc　d'Anjou；　who　later
  became　Henri　III；　distinguished　himself　by　his　deeds　in　various
  actions；　amongst　others　the　battle　of　Jarnac；　in　which　the　Prince
  de　Condee　was　killed。　It　was　during　this　fighting　that　the　Duc　de
  Guise　began　to　play　a　more　important　part　and　to　display　some　of
  the　great　qualities　which　had　been　expected　of　him。　The　Prince　de
  Montpensier；　who　hated　him；　not　only　as　a　personal　enemy　but　as
  an　enemy　of　his　family；　the　Bourbons；　took　no　pleasure　in　his
  successes　nor　in　the　friendliness　shown　toward　him　by　the　Duc
  d'Anjou。
  After　the　two　armies　had　tired　themselves　out　in　a　series　of
  minor　actions；　by　common　consent　they　were　stood　down　for　a　time。
  The　Duc　d'Anjou　stayed　at　Loches　to　restore　to　order　all　the
  places　which　had　been　attacked。　The　Duc　de　Guise　stayed　with　him
  and　the　Prince　de　Montpensier；　accompanied　by　the　Comte　de
  Chabannes；　went　back　to　Champigny；　which　was　not　far　away。
  The　Duc　d'Anjou　frequently　went　to　inspect　places　where
  fortifications　were　being　constructed。　One　day　when　he　was
  returning　to　Loches　by　a　route　which　his　staff　did　not　know　well；
  the　Duc　de　Guise；　who　claimed　to　know　the　way；　went　to　the　head
  of　the　party　to　act　as　guide；　but　after　a　time　he　became　lost　and
  arrived　at　the　bank　of　a　small　river　which　he　did　not　recognise。
  The　Duc　d'Anjou　had　a　few　words　to　say　to　him　for　leading　them
  astray；　but　while　they　were　held　up　there　they　saw　a　little　boat
  floating　on　the　river；　in　whichthe　river　not　being　very　wide
  they　could　see　the　figures　of　three　or　four　women；　one　of　whom；
  very　pretty　and　sumptuously　dressed；　was　watching　with　interest
  the　activities　of　two　men　who　were　fishing　nearby。
  This　spectacle　created　something　of　a　sensation　amongst　the
  Princes　and　their　suite。　It　seemed　to　them　like　an　episode　from　a
  romance。　Some　declared　that　it　was　fate　that　had　led　the　Duc　de
  Guise　to　bring　them　there　to　see　this　lovely　lady；　and　that　they
  should　now　pay　court　to　her。　The　Duc　d'Anjou　maintained　that　it
  was　he　who　should　be　her　suitor。
  To　push　the　matter　a　bit　further；　they　made　one　of　the　horsemen
  go　into　the　river　as　far　as　he　could　and　shout　to　the　lady　that
  it　was　the　Duc　d'Anjou　who　wished　to　cross　to　the　other　bank　and
  who　begged　the　lady　to　take　him　in　her　boat。　The　lady；　who　was　of
  course　the　Princess　de　Montpensier；　hearing　that　it　was　the　Duc
  d'Anjou；　and　having　no　doubt　when　she　saw　the　size　of　his　suite
  that　it　was　indeed　him；　took　her　boat　over　to　the　bank　where　he
  was。　His　fine　figure　made　him　easily　distinguishable　from　the
  others；　she；　however；　distinguished　even　more　easily　the　figure
  of　the　Duc　de　Guise。　This　sight　disturbed　her　and　caused　her　to
  blush　a　little　which　made　her　seem　to　the　Princes　to　have　an
  almost　supernatural　beauty。
  The　Duc　de　Guise　recognised　her　immediately　in　spite　of　the
  changes　which　had　taken　place　in　her　appearance　in　the　three
  years　since　he　had　last　seen　her。　He　told　the　Duc　d'Anjou　who　she
  was　and　the　Duc　was　at　first　embarrassed　at　the　liberty　he　had
  taken；　but　then；　struck　by　the　Princess's　beauty；　he　decided　to
  venture　a　little　further；　and　after　a　thousand　excuses　and　a
  thousand　compliments　he　invented　a　serious　matter　which　required
  his　presence　on　the　opposite　bank；　and　accepted　the　offer　which
  she　made　of　a　passage　in　her　boat。　He　got　in；　accompanied　only　by
  the　Duc　de　Guise；　giving　orders　to　his　suite　to　cross　the　river
  elsewhere　and　to　join　him　at　Champigny；　which　Madame　de
  Montpensier　told　him　was　not　more　than　two　leagues　from　there。
  As　soon　as　they　were　in　the　boat　the　Duc　d'Anjou　asked　to　what
  they　owed　this　so　pleasant　encounter。　Madame　de　Montpensier
  replied　that　　having　left　Champigny　with　the　Prince　her　husband
  with　the　intention　of　following　the　hunt；　she　had　become　tired
  and　having　reached　the　river　bank　she　had　gone　out　in　the　boat　to
  watch　the　landing　of　a　salmon　which　had　been　caught　in　a　net。　The
  Duc　de　Guise　did　not　take　part　in　this　conversation；　but　he　was
  conscious　of　the　re…awakening　of　all　the　emotions　which　the
  Princess　had　once　aroused　in　him；　and　thought　to　himself　that　he
  would　have　difficulty　in　escaping　from　this　meeting　without
  falling　once　more　under　her　spell。
  They　arrived　shortly　at　the　bank　where　they　found　the　Princess's
  horses　and　her　attendants　who　had　been　waiting　for　her。　The　two
  noblemen　helped　her　onto　her　horse　where　she　sat　with　the
  greatest　elegance。　During　their　journey　back　to　Champigny　they
  talked　agreeably　about　a　number　of　subjects　and　her　companions
  were　no　less　charmed　by　her　conversation　than　they　had　been　by
  her　beauty。　They　offered　her　a　number　of　compliments　to　which　she
  replied　with　becoming　modesty；　but　a　little　more　coolly　to　those
  from　M。de　Guise；　for　she　wished　to　maintain　a　distance　which
  would　prevent　him　from　founding　any　expectations　on　the　feelings
  she　had　once　had　towards　him。
  When　they　arrived　at　the　outer　courtyard　of　Champigny　they
  encountered　the　Prince　de　Montpensier；　who　had　just　returned　from
  the　hunt。　He　was　greatly　astonished　to　see　two　men　in　the　company
  of　his　wife；　and　he　was　even　more　astonished　when；　on　coming
  closer；　he　saw　that　these　were　the　Duc　d'Anjou　and　the　Duc　de
  Guise。　The　hatred　which　he　bore　for　the　latter；　combined　with　his
  naturally　jealous　disposition　made　him　find　the　sight　of　these
  two　Princes　with　his　wife；　without　knowing　how　they　came　to　be
  there　or　why　they　had　come　to　his　house；　so　disagreeable　that　he
  was　unable　to　conceal　his　annoyance。　He；　however；　adroitly　put
  this　down　to　a　fear　that　he　could　not　receive　so　mighty　a　Prince
  as　the　King's　brother　in　a　style　befitting　his　rank。　The　Comte　de
  Chabannes　was　even　more　upset　at　seeing　the　Duc　de　Guise　and
  Madame　de　Montpensier　together　than　was　her　husband；　it　seemed　to
  him　a　most　evil　chance　which　had　brought　the　two　of　them　together
  again；　an　augury　which　foretold　disturbing　sequels　to　follow　this
  new　beginning。
  In　the　evening　Madame　de　Montpensier　acted　as　hostess　with　the
  same　grace　with　which　she　did　everything。　In　fact　she　pleased　her
  guests　a　little　too　much。　The　Duc　d'Anjou　who　was　very　handsome
  and　very　much　a　ladies　man；　could　not　see　a　prize　so　much　worth
  winning　without　wishing　ardentl