apartment　where　he　found　all　the　doors　open；　he　went　down　to　the
  courtyard。　He　had　a　horse　brought　to　him　and　rode　off　into　the
  country　led　only　by　his　feelings　of　hopelessness。　The　Prince　de
  Montpensier；　seeing　that　his　wife　did　not　recover　from　her　faint；
  left　her　to　her　women　and　retired　to　his　own　quarters　greatly
  disturbed。
  The　Duc　de　Guise　having　got　out　of　the　park；　hardly　knowing　what
  he　was　doing　being　in　such　a　state　of　turmoil；　put　several
  leagues　between　himself　and　Champigny；　but　could　go　no　further
  without　news　of　the　Princess。　He　stopped　in　the　forest　and　sent
  his　squire　to　find　out　from　the　Comte　de　Chabannes　what　had
  happened。　The　squire　found　no　trace　of　Chabannes　but　was　told　by
  others　that　the　Princess　was　seriously　ill。　The　Duc's　inquietude
  was　increased　by　what　the　squire　had　told　him；　but　as　he　could　do
  nothing　he　was　constrained　to　go　back　to　his　uncle's　in　order　not
  to　raise　suspicions　by　too　long　an　absence。
  The　Duc's　squire　had　been　correct　when　he　said　that　the　Princess
  was　seriously　ill；　for　as　soon　as　her　women　had　put　her　to　bed
  she　was　seized　by　a　violent　fever　with　horrible　phantasies；　so
  that　by　the　second　day　her　life　was　despaired　of。　The　Prince
  pretended　that　he　himself　was　ill　so　that　no　one　should　be
  surprised　that　he　did　not　visit　his　wife's　room。　The　order　which
  he　received　to　return　to　the　Court；　to　which　all　the　Catholic
  princes　were　being　recalled　in　preparation　for　the　massacre　of
  the　Huguenots；　relieved　him　of　his　embarrassment。　He　went　off　to
  Paris　without　knowing　what　he　had　to　hope　or　fear　about　his
  wife's　illness。　He　had　hardly　arrived　there　when　the　assault　on
  the　Huguenots　was　signalised　by　the　attack　on　Admiral　de
  Chatillon。　Two　days　later　came　the　disgraceful　massacre；　now　so
  well　known　throughout　Europe。
  The　poor　Comte　de　Chabanne；　who　had　gone　to　hide　himself　away　in
  one　of　the　outer　suburbs　of　Paris　to　abandon　himself　to　his
  misery；　was　caught　up　in　the　ruin　of　the　Huguenots。　The　people　to
  whose　house　he　had　retired；　having　recognised　him；　and　having
  recalled　that　he　had　once　been　suspected　of　being　of　that
  persuasion；　murdered　him　on　the　same　night　which　was　fatal　to　so
  many　people。　The　next　day　the　Prince　de　Montpensier；　who　was　in
  that　area　on　duty；　passed　along　the　street　where　the　body　of　the
  Comte　lay。　He　was　at　first　shocked　by　this　pitiful　sight　and；
  recalling　his　past　friendship；　was　grieved；　but　then　the　memory
  of　the　offence；　which　he　believed　the　Comte　had　committed；　made
  him　feel　pleased　that　he　had　been　avenged　by　the　hand　of　chance。
  The　Duc　de　Guise　who　had　used　the　opportunity　of　the　massacre　to
  take　ample　revenge　for　the　death　of　his　father；　gradually　took
  less　and　less　interest　in　the　Condition　of　the　Princess　of
  Montpensier；　and　having　met　the　Marquise　de　Noirmoutier；　a　woman
  of　wit　and　beauty；　and　one　who　promised　more　than　the　Princess　de
  Montpensier；　he　attached　himself　to　her；　an　attachment　which
  lasted　a　lifetime。
  The　Princess's　illness　reached　a　crisis　and　then　began　to　remit。
  She　recovered　her　senses　and　was　somewhat　relieved　by　the　absence
  of　her　husband。　She　was　expected　to　live；　but　her　health
  recovered　very　slowly　because　of　her　low　spirits；　which　were
  further　depressed　by　the　realisation　that　she　had　received　no
  news　of　the　Duc　de　Guise　during　all　her　illness。　She　asked　her
  women　if　they　had　not　seen　anyone；　if　they　had　not　had　any
  letters；　and　finding　that　there　had　been　nothing；　she　saw　herself
  as　the　most　wretched　of　women；　one　who　had　risked　all　for　a　man
  who　had　abandoned　her。　A　fresh　blow　was　the　news　of　the　death　of
  the　Comte　de　Chabannes；　which　her　husband　made　sure　she　heard
  about　as　soon　as　possible。　The　ingratitude　of　the　Duc　de　Guise
  made　her　feel　even　more　deeply　the　loss　of　a　man　whose　fidelity
  she　knew　so　well。　These　disappointments　weighed　heavily　upon　her
  and　reduced　her　to　a　state　as　serious　as　that　from　which　she　had
  recently　recovered。　Madame　de　Noirmoutier　was　a　woman　who　took　as
  much　care　to　publicise　her　affairs　as　others　do　to　conceal　them。
  Her　relations　with　the　Duc　de　Guise　were　so　open　that；　even
  though　far　away　and　ill；　the　Princess　heard　so　much　about　it　that
  she　was　left　in　no　doubt。　This　was　the　final　straw。　She　had　lost
  the　regard　of　her　husband；　the　heart　of　her　lover；　and　the　most
  loyal　of　her　friends。　She　took　to　her　bed；　and　died　not　long
  after　in　the　flower　of　her　youth。　She　was　one　of　the　loveliest　of
  women　and　could　have　been　one　of　the　happiest　if　she　had　not
  strayed　so　far　from　the　path　of　prudence　and　virtue。
  End