cavalier, "doubtless, if he had, the duke
would not have let him be taken, or at all events would not have
allowed him to have been carried from Brussels to Paris bound hand
and foot, without even trying to rescue him."
"An attempt to rescue him," replied Briquet, "would have been very
dangerous, because, whether it failed or succeeded, it would have been
an avowal, on the duke's part, that he had conspired against the Duc
d'Anjou."
"M. de Guise would not, I am sure, have been restrained by such
considerations; therefore, as he has not defended Salcede, it is certain
that he is not one of his men."
"Excuse me, monsieur, if I insist, but it is not I who invent, for it
appears that Salcede has confessed."
"Where? before the judges?"
"No, monsieur; at the torture."
"They asserted that he did, but they do not repeat what he said."
"Excuse me again, monsieur, but they do."
"And what did he say?" cried the cavalier impatiently. "As you seem so
well informed, what were his words?"
"I cannot certify that they were his words," replied Briquet, who
seemed to take a pleasure in teazing the cavalier.
"Well, then, those they attribute to him."
"They assert that he has confessed that he conspired for M. de Guise."
"Against the king, of course?"
"No; against the Duc d'Anjou."
"If he confessed that--"
"Well?"
"Well, he is a poltroon!" said the cavalier, frowning.
"Ah! monsieur, the boot and the thumb-screw make a man confess
many things."
"Alas! that is true, monsieur."
"Bah!" interrupted the Gascon, "the boot and the thumb-screw,
nonsense: if Salcede confessed that, he was a knave, and his patron
another."
"You speak loudly, monsieur," said the cavalier.
"I speak as I please; so much the worse for those who dislike it."
"More calmly," said a voice at once soft and imperative, of which
Briquet vainly sought the owner.
The cavalier seemed to make an effort over himself, and then said
quietly to the Gascon, "Do you know him of whom you speak?"
"Salcede?"--"Yes."
"Not in the least."
"And the Duc de Guise?"
"Still less."
"Well, then, Salcede is a brave man."
"So much the better: he will die bravely."
"And know that, when the Duc de Guise wishes to conspire, he
conspires for himself."
"What do I care?"
"What!"
"Mayneville! Mayneville!" murmured the same voice.
"Yes, mordieu! what do I care?" continued the Gascon, "I came to Paris
on business, and find the gates closed on account of this execution--that
is all I care for."
At this moment there was a sound of trumpets. The Swiss had cleared
the middle of the road, along which a crier proceeded, dressed in a
flowered tunic, and bearing on his breast a scutcheon on which was
embroidered the arms of Paris. He read from a paper in his hand the
following proclamation:
"This is to make known to our good people of Paris and its environs,
that its gates will be closed for one hour, and that none can enter during
that time; and this by the will of the king and the mayor of Paris."
The crowd gave vent to their discontent in a long hoot, to which,
however, the crier seemed indifferent. The officer commanded silence,
and when it was obtained, the crier continued:
"All who are the bearers of a sign of recognition, or are summoned by
letter or mandate, are exempt from this rule. Given at the hotel of the
provost of Paris, 26th of October, 1585."
Scarcely had the crier ceased to speak, when the crowd began to
undulate like a serpent behind the line of soldiers.
"What is the meaning of this?" cried all.
"Oh! it is to keep us out of Paris," said the cavalier, who had been
speaking in a low voice to his companions. "These guards, this crier,
these bars, and these trumpets are all for us; we ought to be proud of
them."
"Room!" cried the officer in command; "make room for those who
have the right to pass!"
"Cap de Bious! I know who will pass, whoever is kept out!" said the
Gascon, leaping into the cleared space. He walked straight up to the
officer who had spoken, and who looked at him for some moments in
silence, and then said:
"You have lost your hat, it appears, monsieur?"
"Yes, monsieur."
"Is it in the crowd?"
"No. I had just received a letter from my sweetheart, and was reading it,
cap de Bious! near the river, about a mile from here, when a gust of
wind carried away both my letter and my hat. I ran after the letter,
although the button of my hat was a single diamond; I caught my letter,
but my hat was carried by the wind into the middle of
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