Charles is but a puppet in the hands of Catherine de Medici; and with the pope, and Philip of Spain, and the Guises always pushing her on, she will in time persuade the king, who at present earnestly wishes for peace, to take fresh measures against the Huguenots.

She is never happy unless she is scheming, and you will see she will not be long before she begins to make trouble, again." The news spread quickly through Canterbury that Philip Fletcher had returned, and the next day many of his old friends came up to see him.

At first they were a little awed by the change that had come over him, and one or two of them even addressed him as Sir Philip.
But the shout of laughter, with which he received this well-meant respect, showed them that he was their old schoolfellow still; and soon set them at their ease with him.
"We didn't think, Philip," one of them said, "when you used to take the lead in our fights with the boys of the town, that you would be so soon fighting in earnest, in France; and that in three years you would have gained knighthood." "I did not think so myself, Archer.

You used to call me Frenchie, you know; but I did not think, at the time, that I was likely ever to see France.

I should like to have had my old band behind me, in some of the fights we had there.