the rough heart and the bloody hand?"

"My lord," answered Le Balafre, "I have neither feared nor spared your
enemies, sword in hand. And an assault is a desperate matter, under
risks which raise a man's blood so that, by Saint Andrew, it will not
settle for an hour or two--which I call a fair license for plundering
after a storm. And God pity us poor soldiers, who are first driven mad
with danger, and then madder with victory. I have heard of a legion
consisting entirely of saints; and methinks it would take them all to
pray and intercede for the rest of the army, and for all who wear
plumes and corselets, buff coats and broadswords. But what your Majesty
purposes is out of my course of practice, though I will never deny that
it has been wide enough. As for the Astrologer, if he be a traitor, let
him e'en die a traitor's death--I will neither meddle nor make with it.
Your Majesty has your Provost and two of his Marshals men without, who
are more fit for dealing with him than a Scottish gentleman of my family
and standing in the service."

"You say well," said the King; "but, at least, it belongs to thy duty
to prevent interruption, and to guard the execution of my most just
sentence."

"I will do so against all Peronne," said Le Balafre. "Your Majesty need
not doubt my fealty in that which I can reconcile to my conscience,
which, for mine own convenience and the service of your royal Majesty,
I can vouch to be a pretty large one--at least, I know I have done some
deeds for your Majesty, which I would rather have eaten a handful of my
own dagger than I would have done for any one else."

"Let that rest," said the King, "and hear you--when Galeotti is
admitted, and the door shut on him, do you stand to your weapon,
and guard the entrance on the inside of the apartment. Let no one
intrude--that is all I require of you. Go hence, and send the Provost
Marshal to me."

Balafre left the apartment accordingly, and in a minute afterwards
Tristan l'Hermite entered from the hall.

"Welcome, gossip," said the King; "what thinkest thou of our situation?"

"As of men sentenced to death," said the Provost Marshal, "unless there
come a reprieve from the Duke."'

"Reprieved or not, he that decoyed us into this snare shalt go our
fourrier to the next world, to take up lodgings for us," said the King,
with a grisly and ferocious smile. "Tristan, thou hast done many an
act of brave justice--finis--I should have said funis coronat