, crossing the square at
full gallop, a young man on horseback, whose costume was of surprising
richness. He pushed hastily through the crowd of curious lookers-on,
and, at the sight of these unexpected erections, uttered a cry of anger
and dismay. It was Buckingham, who had awakened from his stupor, in
order to adorn himself with a costume perfectly dazzling from its
beauty, and to await the arrival of the princess and the queen-mother
at the Hotel de Ville. At the entrance to the tents, the soldiers
barred his passage, and his further progress was arrested. Buckingham,
hopelessly infuriated, raised his whip; but his arm was seized by a
couple of officers. Of the two guardians of the tent, only one was
there. De Wardes was in the interior of the Hotel de Ville, engaged in
attending to the execution of some orders given by De Guiche. At the
noise made by Buckingham Manicamp, who was indolently reclining upon
the cushions at the doorway of one of the tents, rose with his usual
indifference, and, perceiving that the disturbance continued, made his
appearance from underneath the curtains. "What is the matter?" he said,
in a gentle tone of voice, "and who is it making this disturbance?"

It so happened, that, at the moment he began to speak, silence had just
been restored, and, although his voice was very soft and gentle in its
tone, every one heard his question. Buckingham turned round; and looked
at the tall, thin figure, and the listless expression of countenance of
his questioner. Probably the personal appearance of Manicamp, who was
dressed very plainly, did not inspire him with much respect, for he
replied disdainfully, "Who may you be, monsieur?"

Manicamp, leaning on the arm of a gigantic trooper, as firm as
the pillar of a cathedral, replied in his usual tranquil tone of
voice,--"And you, monsieur?"

"I, monsieur, am the Duke of Buckingham; I have hired all the houses
which surround the Hotel de Ville, where I have business to transact;
and as these houses are let, they belong to me, and, as I hired them in
order to preserve the right of free access to the Hotel de Ville, you
are not justified in preventing me passing to it."

"But who prevents you passing, monsieur?" inquired Manicamp.

"Your sentinels."

"Because you wish to pass on horseback, and orders have been given to
let only persons on foot pass."

"No one has any right to give orders here, except myself," said
Buckingham.

"On what grounds?" inq