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It was on the 23d of August that the party set out from Noyers. Their march was prompt and rapid. Contrary to expectation, they discovered an unguarded ford across the Loire, near the town of Laussonne. This ford was only passable when the river was unusually low, and had therefore escaped the vigilance of their foes.
Richelieu advised him to place his confidence in the two secretaries of state, Chavigny and de Noyers, recommended Cardinal Mazarin strongly as first minister of the crown, and handed the king a document he had prepared barring the Duke of Orleans from any share in the regency in case of the king's death, the preamble calling to mind that the king had five times pardoned his brother, who had yet recently engaged in a fresh plot against him.
But we met with a worse obstacle than all from M. de Noyers, Secretary of State, one of the three favourite ministers, who passed for a religious man, and was suspected by some to be a Jesuit in disguise.
Conde had the bearers arrested, understood the warning, and communicated it to Coligny, who went and joined him at Noyers, and they decided, both of them, upon quitting Burgundy without delay, to go and seek over the Loire at La Rochelle, which they knew to be devoted to their cause, a sure asylum and a place suitable for their purposes as a centre of warlike operations.
"What matter? my father is rich; I think so," she answered. "Poor child!" said Charles, making a step into her room and leaning his back against the wall, "if that were so, he would never have let my father die; he would not let you live in this poor way; he would live otherwise himself." "But he owns Froidfond." "What is Froidfond worth?" "I don't know; but he has Noyers."
At the moment when, filled with fear, she was drawing the sheet above her head that she might stifle hearing, Eugenie, in her night-gown and with naked feet, ran to her side and kissed her brow. "Oh! my good mother," she said, "to-morrow I will tell him it was I." "No; he would send you to Noyers. Leave me to manage it; he cannot eat me." "Do you hear, mamma?" "What?" "He is weeping still."
That human torrent that he had seen so lately streaming over those hills, where was it now where were massed those innumerable hosts? At last, at the corner of a pine wood, above Noyers and Frenois, he succeeded in making out a little cluster of mounted men in uniform some general, doubtless, and his staff.
"I wish you to go to the Prince of Condé at Noyers, to tell him your story, and to answer any questions he may put to you. I am setting out myself in an hour or two, but my preparations are not complete. Monsieur Bellièvre will accompany you as guide; he has received my instructions." The Admiral could not have chosen for me a more suitable comrade than Felix Bellièvre.
Gaspard de Tavannes was charged with the arrest of Conde and the Admiral; and fourteen companies of men-at-arms, and as many of infantry were placed under his orders, and these were quietly and secretly marched to Noyers. Fortunately Conde received warning, just before the blow was going to be struck.
"We know that even now, while they deem us but a handful of fugitives, our brethren throughout France will be everywhere banding themselves in arms. Before we left Noyers we sent out a summons, calling the Huguenots in all parts of France to take up arms again. Their organization is perfect in every district.
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