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　　〃Well；　then；　to　the　king；　your　nephew。　Shall　I　speak　to　him？　You　know　how　much　he　loves　me；　my　mother。
　　〃Alas！　my　nephew　is　not　yet　king；　and　you　know　Laporte　has　told　us　twenty　times　that　he　himself　is　in　need　of　almost　everything。〃
　　〃Then　let　us　pray　to　Heaven；〃　said　the　girl。
　　The　two　women　who　thus　knelt　in　united　prayer　were　the　daughter　and　grand…daughter　of　Henry　IV。；　the　wife　and　daughter　of　Charles　I。
　　They　had　just　finished　their　double　prayer；　when　a　nun　softly　tapped　at　the　door　of　the　cell。
　　〃Enter；　my　sister；〃　said　the　queen。
　　〃I　trust　your　majesty　will　pardon　this　intrusion　on　her　meditations；　but　a　foreign　lord　has　arrived　from　England　and　waits　in　the　parlor；　demanding　the　honor　of　presenting　a　letter　to　your　majesty。〃
　　〃Oh；　a　letter！　a　letter　from　the　king；　perhaps。　News　from　your　father；　do　you　hear；　Henrietta？　And　the　name　of　this　lord？〃
　　〃Lord　de　Winter。〃
　　〃Lord　de　Winter！〃　exclaimed　the　queen；　〃the　friend　of　my　husband。　Oh；　bid　him　enter！〃
　　And　the　queen　advanced　to　meet　the　messenger；　whose　hand　she　seized　affectionately；　whilst　he　knelt　down　and　presented　a　letter　to　her；　contained　in　a　case　of　gold。
　　〃Ah！　my　lord！〃　said　the　queen；　〃you　bring　us　three　things　which　we　have　not　seen　for　a　long　time。　Gold；　a　devoted　friend；　and　a　letter　from　the　king；　our　husband　and　master。〃
　　De　Winter　bowed　again；　unable　to　reply　from　excess　of　emotion。
　　On　their　side　the　mother　and　daughter　retired　into　the　embrasure　of　a　window　to　read　eagerly　the　following　letter：
　　Dear　Wife；　　We　have　now　reached　the　moment　of　decision。　I　have　concentrated　here　at　Naseby　camp　all　the　resources　Heaven　has　left　me；　and　I　write　to　you　in　haste　from　thence。　Here　I　await　the　army　of　my　rebellious　subjects。　I　am　about　to　struggle　for　the　last　time　with　them。　If　victorious；　I　shall　continue　the　struggle；　if　beaten；　I　am　lost。　I　shall　try；　in　the　latter　case　（alas！　in　our　position；　one　must　provide　for　everything）；　I　shall　try　to　gain　the　coast　of　France。　But　can　they；　will　they　receive　an　unhappy　king；　who　will　bring　such　a　sad　story　into　a　country　already　agitated　by　civil　discord？　Your　wisdom　and　your　affection　must　serve　me　as　guides。　The　bearer　of　this　letter　will　tell　you；　madame；　what　I　dare　not　trust　to　pen　and　paper　and　the　risks　of　transit。　He　will　explain　to　you　the　steps　that　I　expect　you　to　pursue。　I　charge　him　also　with　my　blessing　for　my　children　and　with　the　sentiments　of　my　soul　for　yourself；　my　dearest　sweetheart。〃
　　The　letter　bore　the　signature；　not　of　〃Charles；　King；〃　but　of　〃Charles　　still　king。〃
　　〃And　let　him　be　no　longer　king；〃　cried　the　queen。　〃Let　him　be　conquered；　exiled；　proscribed；　provided　he　still　lives。　Alas！　in　these　days　the　throne　is　too　dangerous　a　place　for　me　to　wish　him　to　retain　it。　But　my　lord；　tell　me；〃　she　continued；　〃hide　nothing　from　me　　what　is；　in　truth；　the　king's　position？　Is　it　as　hopeless　as　he　thinks？〃
　　〃Alas！　madame；　more　hopeless　than　he　thinks。　His　majesty　has　so　good　a　heart　that　he　cannot　understand　hatred；　is　so　loyal　that　he　does　not　suspect　treason！　England　is　torn　in　twain　by　a　spirit　of　disturbance　which；　I　greatly　fear；　blood　alone　can　exorcise。〃
　　〃But　Lord　Montrose；〃　replied　the　queen；　〃I　have　heard　of　his　great　and　rapid　successes　of　battles　gained。　I　heard　it　said　that　he　was　marching　to　the　frontier　to　join　the　king。〃
　　〃Yes；　madame；　but　on　the　frontier　he　was　met　by　Lesly；　he　had　tried　victory　by　means　of　superhuman　undertakings。　Now　victory　has　abandoned　him。　Montrose；　beaten　at　Philiphaugh；　was　obliged　to　disperse　the　remains　of　his　army　and　to　fly；　disguised　as　a　servant。　He　is　at　Bergen；　in　Norway。〃
　　〃Heaven　preserve　him！〃　said　the　queen。　〃It　is　at　least　a　consolation　to　know　that　some　who　have　so　often　risked　their　lives　for　us　are　safe。　And　now；　my　lord；　that　I　see　how　hopeless　the　position　of　the　king　is；　tell　me　with　what　you　are　charged　on　the　part　of　my　royal　husband。〃
　　〃Well；　then；　madame；〃　said　De　Winter；　〃the　king　wishes　you　to　try　and　discover　the　dispositions　of　the　king　and　queen　toward　him。〃
　　〃Alas！　you　know　that　even　now　the　king　is　but　a　child　and　the　queen　a　woman　weak　enough。　Here；　Monsieur　Mazarin　is　everything。〃
　　〃Does　he　desire　to　play　the　part　in　France　that　Cromwell　plays　in　England？〃
　　〃Oh；　no！　He　is　a　subtle；　conscienceless　Italian；　who　though　he　very　likely　dreams　of　crime；　dares　not　mit　it；　and　unlike　Cromwell；　who　disposes　of　both　Houses；　Mazarin　has　had　the　queen　to　support　him　in　his　struggle　with　the　parliament。〃
　　〃More　reason；　then；　he　should　protect　a　king　pursued　by　parliament。〃
　　The　queen　shook　her　head　despairingly。
　　〃If　I　judge　for　myself；　my　lord；〃　she　said；　〃the　cardinal　will　do　nothing；　and　will　even；　perhaps；　act　against　us。　The　presence　of　my　daughter　and　myself　in　France　is　already　irksome　to　him；　much　more　so　would　be　that　of　the　king。　My　lord；〃　added　Henrietta；　with　a　melancholy　smile；　〃it　is　sad　and　almost　shameful　to　be　obliged　to　say　that　we　have　passed　the　winter　in　the　Louvre　without　money；　without　linen；　almost　without　bread；　and　often　not　rising　from　bed　because　we　wanted　fire。〃
　　〃Horrible！〃　cried　De　Winter；　〃the　daughter　of　Henry　IV。；　and　the　wife　of　King　Charles！　Wherefore　did　you　not　apply；　then；　madame；　to　the　first　person　you　saw　from　us？〃
　　〃Such　is　the　hospitality　shown　to　a　queen　by　the　minister　from　whom　a　king　demands　it。〃
　　〃But　I　heard　that　a　marriage　between　the　Prince　of　Wales　and　Mademoiselle　d'Orleans　was　spoken　of；〃　said　De　Winter。
　　〃Yes；　for　an　instant　I　hoped　it　was　so。　The　young　people　felt　a　mutual　esteem；　but　the　queen；　who　at　first　sanctioned　their　affection；　changed　her　mind；　and　Monsieur；　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　who　had　encouraged　the　familiarity　between　them；　has　forbidden　his　daughter　to　think　any　more　about　the　union。　Oh；　my　lord！〃　continued　the　queen；　without　restraining　her　tears；　〃it　is　better　to　fight　as　the　king　has　done；　and　to　die；　as　perhaps　he　will；　than　live　in　beggary　like　me。〃
　　〃Courage；　madame！　courage！　Do　not　despair！　The　interests　of　the　French　crown；　endangered　at　this　moment；　are　to　discountenance　rebellion　in　a　neighboring　nation。　Mazarin；　as　a　statesman；　will　understand　the　politic　necessity。〃
　　〃Are　you　sure；〃　said　the　queen　doubtfully；　〃that　you　have　not　been　forestalled？〃
　　〃By　whom？〃
　　〃By　the　Joices；　the　Prinns；　the　Cromwells？〃
　　〃By　a　tailor；　a　coachmaker；　a　brewer！　Ah！　I　hope；　madame；　that　the　cardinal　will　not　enter　into　negotiations　with　such　men！〃
　　〃Ah！　what　is　he　himself？〃　asked　Madame　Henrietta。
　　〃But　for　the　honor　of　the　king　　of　the　queen。〃
　　〃Well；　let　us　hope　he　will　do　something　for　the　sake　of　their　honor；〃　said　the　queen。　〃A　true　friend's　eloquence　is　so　powerful；　my　lord；　that　you　have　reassured　me。　Give　me　your　hand　and　let　us　go　to　the　minister；　and　yet；〃　she　added；　〃suppose　he　should　refuse　and　that　the　king　loses　the　battle？〃
　　〃His　majesty　will　then　take　refuge　in　Holland；　where　I　hear　his　highness　the　Prince　of　Wales　now　is。〃
　　〃And　can　his　majesty　count　upon　many　such　subjects　as　yourself　for　his　flight？〃
　　〃Alas！　no；　madame；〃　answered　De　Winter；　〃but　the　case　is　provided　for　and　I　am　e　to　France　to　seek　allies。〃
　　〃Allies！〃　said　the　queen；　shaking　her　head。
　　〃Madame；〃　replied　De　Winter；　〃provided　I　can　find　some　of　my　good　old　friends　of　former　times　I　will　answer　for　anything。〃
　　〃e　then；　my　lord；〃　said　the　queen；　with　the　painful　doubt　that　is　felt　by　those　who　have　suffered　much；　〃e；　and　may　Heaven　hear　you。〃
　　Cromwell's　Letter
　　At　the　very　moment　when　the　queen　quitted　the　convent　to　go　to　the　Palais　Royal；　a　young　man　dismounted　at　the　gate　of　this　royal　abode　and　announced　to　the　guards　that　he　had　something　of　importance　to　municate　to　Cardinal　Mazarin。　Although　the　cardinal　was　often　tormented　by　fear；　he　was　more　often　in　need　of　counsel　and　information；　and　he　was　therefore　sufficiently　accessible。　The　true　difficulty　of　being　admitted　was　not　to　be　found　at　the　first　door；　and　even　the　second　was　passed　easily　enough；　but　at　the　third　watched；　besides　the　guard　and　the　doorkeepers；　the　faithful　Bernouin；　a　Cerberus　whom　no　speech　could　soften；　no　wand；　even　of　gold；　could　char