in fencing he
had received during his first visit to Paris; the Chevalier made no
difficulty about lending them foils, and their little court became the
scene of numerous encounters, as well as of other games and exercises.
More sedentary sports were at their service, chess, tables, dice, or
cards, but Philip detested these, and they were only played in the
evening, or on a rainy afternoon, by Berenger and the Chevalier.

It was clearly no part of the old gentleman's plan to break their health
or spirits. He insisted on taking them out riding frequently, though
always with four gendarmes with loaded arquebuses, so as to preclude
all attempt at escape, or conversation with the peasants. The rides were
hateful to both youths, but Berenger knew that so many hours of tedium
were thus disposed of, and hoped also to acquire some knowledge of
the country; indeed, he looked at every cottage and every peasant with
affectionate eyes, as probably having sheltered Eustacie; and Philip,
after one visit paid to the convent at Bellaise, was always in hopes of
making such another. His boyish admiration of Madame de Selinville was
his chief distraction, coming on in accesses whenever there was a hope
of seeing her, and often diverting Berenger by its absurdities, even
though at other times he feared that the lad might be led away by it, or
dissension sown between them. Meetings were rare--now and then Madame
de Selinville would appear at dinner or at supper as her father's
guest; and more rarely, the Chevalier would turn his horse's head in the
direction of Bellaise, and the three gentlemen would be received in the
unpartitioned parlour, and there treated to such lemon cakes as had been
the ruin of La Sablerie; but in general the castle and the convent had
little intercourse, or only just enough to whet the appetite of the
prisoners for what constituted their only variety.

Six weeks had lagged by before any answer from Paris was received, and
then there was no reply from Walsingham, who had, it appeared, returned
home immediatel