Le Blanc will once more be master of his castle."

"Heaven grant it, monsieur," said he earnestly, as I rode off.

The state of the country west of Le Blanc was even more deplorable than
what I had seen during my journey to Tanlay. The fields were bare both
of corn and of cattle; the villagers were starving; the people of the
towns went about in fear and trembling; the king's troops robbed as they
pleased without restraint.

At Poictiers I found the citizens in a state of dangerous excitement.
Armed bands, some Huguenots, some Catholics, patrolled the streets,
singing and shouting, and uttering threats of vengeance. Fearful of
being mixed up in these disturbances, I alighted before the door of the
first decent inn, gave my horse to the ostler, and entered.

"Your streets are a trifle dangerous for a peaceful traveller," I
remarked to the landlord, who showed me to a room.

"What would you, monsieur?" he asked, with a shrug of the shoulders;
"the times are evil. These miserable heretics disturb the whole country
with their senseless brawls. But the mischief will be stamped out before
long."

"How?" I said. "Has not the king granted them the privilege of
worshipping in their own way?"

"Ah, monsieur, that was meant but for a time. The Queen-Mother will make
a clean sweep of their rights as soon as she has power enough. And it is
said," here he lowered his voice to a confidential whisper, "that a