pass her arm round her sister's waist, and look sweetly at her, which
made me think Madeleine more attractive than ever. M. Bourdinave did not
immediately recover his equanimity, but addressing my father, said it
more than ever behooved good Reformers to walk warily, and not give in
to any of the ensnaring practices of the surrounding Catholics. "Little
by little they are stealing in on us already," said he, "and, if our
sagacious men are to be believed, a time of trouble is preparing for us
that may perhaps not fall very short of the massacre on the day of St.
Bartholomew."

"Still," said my father, "we are under the protection of the Edict of
Nantes."

"Edicts may be set aside," said M. Bourdinave, in a lowered voice, which
yet I heard, being next him. "Only think how we have been annoyed and
injured the last two or three years, by edicts differing greatly from
the Edict of Nantes. That one, for instance, which rendered us liable to
the intrusion of Catholics into our temples, to spy at our observances,
pick up scraps of our sermons, and report them incorrectly. What
advantage the rabble have taken of it!"

"Too true," said my father, gravely.

"Last year," pursued M. Bourdinave, "that attempted confederacy for
mutual protection, when all our closed meetinghouses were reopened for
worship, showed what temper our adversaries were of."

"It was an ill-considered measure," said my father, slowly.

"Ill-conducted, rather," said M. Bourdinave. "The act should have been