CATHERINE CONTINUED , in the months that followed, to be troubled by her children.

Alenon, after escaping from Paris, had conducted a campaign in Flanders from which he had emerged triumphant; but Catherine knew that her son was too conceited, too self-seeking, to serve any cause well, although at this time the Huguenots might be deceived into believing that in the Kings brother they had found a man they could follow. It had been necessary to make peace with Alenon and this Catherine had arranged. The Paix de Monsieur was signed that May and was so called in honour of Alenon, Monsieur, the Kings brother. But what, Catherine must ask herself, did these spasmodic interludes of peace mean to Francemerely lulls in the fighting, so that greater armies might be gathered together. The King hated his brother to receive honours, and even while he pretended to help Alenonfor Alenon was in turn fighting for the King and against himhe was secretly hampering him in every way he could. It was always so with these brothersCharles had hated Henry in just the same way; their jealousy of each other was far greater than their love for France. Alenon had now been created Duke of Anjou, the King having bestowed on him that title as he himself no longer needed it now that he had the higher one of King of France.

If, thought Catherine, they would only work together, how strong we should be!

But these children of hers were half Medici; they could not go straight.

Margot had begged the King to let her join her husband, for, she said, that was a wifes place. They had, she pointed out, married her to Henry of Navarre against her will; and now. against her will, they kept her from him. It was a favourite fiction of Margots that her husband pined for her company; though Catherine guessed that, since he had expressed a desire for it, this must be because he felt it would be as well to keep such a natural trouble-maker under his eye.

Catherine and the King had decided that it would be folly to let Margot go back to her husband, but they allowed her to accompany the Princess de la Roche-sur-Yonne to Spa, whither that lady was going, to take the waters. Margot had been ill, suffering from erysipelas of the arm, so it was thought that the waters would do her good; and as all she desired was a change, a little excitement, the prospect of the journey through Flanders to Spa pleased her as much as a journey to Barn would have done.

Margot was now back at court, but, according to her, she had had many an exciting adventure during her travels. She had renewed her tender friendship with Bussy dAmboise, whose gallantry had proved a great delight to her; she was never tired of telling how he, the greatest swordsman in France, was continually becoming involved in duels and, when he had disarmed his adversaries would, like a hero in a fairy tale, tell them that their lives would be spared if they would seek the most beautiful Princess and lady in the world, cast themselves at her feet and thank herfor Bussy had granted them the gift of life only for her sake. It was evident that Margot had been delighted to renew her friendship with the dashing Bussy.

There had been other adventures; these included an exciting meeting with Don John of Austria, the hero of Lepanto and the illegitimate son of Emperor Charles of Spain, and Philips half-brother. He had been charming to Margot and she had believed she had made a conquest, for Margot, who had so little difficulty in finding lovers, was apt to imagine that every man who looked her way and smiled on her was on the point of falling in love with her. She had been, enchanted with Don John until her spies informed her that he was a spy of her brother, the King of France, and therefore could be no friend to herself and her other brother, the new Duke of Anjou; she learned too that while she dallied in Flanders, the deceitful Don John was making plans to take her prisoner.