"My son was one of the prince's gentlemen of the chamber, and he would have been unworthy of his name, had he thought first of his personal safety and not of that of the young king." Philip knew that this was so; and the knowledge had, from the first, prevented his entertaining any great hopes of his cousin's safety.

However, he said: "As long as there was a hope of his being of service to the prince, I am sure that Francois would not have left him.

But from the first, aunt, resistance was in vain, and would only have excited the assailants.

Pierre heard that in few cases was there any resistance, whatever, to the murderers.

The horror of the thing was so great that even the bravest, awakened thus from their sleep, either fell without drawing sword, or fled." "What a day for France!" the countess exclaimed.