During the week that he lay in hiding, one of his companions called Durassier (4) made love to the Countess.  At the beginning she spoke to this new lover, as she had spoken to the first, with harsh and haughty speech that grew milder day by day, insomuch that when the time was come for dismissing the first prisoner, she put the second into his place.  While he was there, another companion of his, named Valnebon, (5) did the same as the former two, and after these there came yet two or three more to lodge in the sweet prison.

4 This in all probability is the doughty James Galliot de Genouillac, who—­much in the same way as in our own times the names of the “Iron Duke” and the “Man of Iron” have been bestowed on Wellington and Bismarck—­was called by his contemporaries the “Seigneur d’Acier” or “Steel Lord,” whence “Durassier”—­hard steel.  Born in Le Quercy in or about 1466, Genouillac accompanied Charles VIII. on his Italian expeditions, and, according to Brantome, surpassed all others in valour and influence.  He greatly distinguished himself at the battle of Fornova (1495), and in 1515 we find him one of the chief commanders of the French artillery.  For the great skill he displayed at Marignano he was appointed Grand Master of the Artillery and Seneschal of Armagnac, and he subsequently became Grand Equerry of France.  At Pavia, where he again commanded the artillery, he would have swept away the Spaniards had not the French impetuously charged upon them, preventing him from firing his pieces.  Most of the latter he contrived to save, severe as was the defeat, and he effectually protected the retreat of the Duke of Alencon and the Count of Clermont into France.  Genouillac died in 1546, a year after he had been appointed Governor of Languedoc.—­B.  J. and Ed.

5 Valnebon is an anagram of the name Bonneval, and Queen Margaret evidently refers here to a member of the Bonneval family.  In the time of Charles VIII. this illustrious Limousin house had two principal members, Anthony, one of the leading counsellors of that king (as of his predecessor Louis XI. and his successor Louis XII.), and Germain, also a royal counsellor and chamberlain.  The heroes of the above story being military men and old friends and comrades, it is probable that the reference is to Germain de Bonneval, he, like Chastillon and Genouillac, having accompanied Charles VIII. on his expedition into Italy.  Germain de Bonneval, moreover, was one of the seven noblemen who fought at the battle of Fornova, clad and armed exactly like the French king.  He perished at the memorable defeat of Pavia in 1525.  From him descended, in a direct line, the famous eighteenth century adventurer, Claud Alexander, Count de Bonneval.—­B.  J. and Ed.

This manner of life continued for a long time, and was so skilfully contrived that none of the lovers knew aught of the others; and although they were aware of the love that each of them bore the lady, there was not one but believed himself to be the only successful suitor, and laughed at his comrades who, as he thought, had failed to win such great happiness.