ermission or dissent, the smith of Carlinwark
tucked his late opponent under his arm as easily as an ordinary man
might carry a puppy. Then, sheathing their swords, the other three
Scots made haste to leave the place, for the gleaming of lanthorns
could already be seen down the street, which might either mark the
advent of the city watch or the return of the enemy with
reinforcements.

It was to a towering house with barred windows and great doors that
the four Scots retreated. Entering cautiously by a side portal, Malise
led the way with his burden. This mansion had been the town residence
of the first Duke of Touraine, Archibald the Tineman. It had been
occupied by the English for military purposes during their tenancy of
the city, and now that they were gone, it had escaped by its very
dilapidation the fate of the other possessions of the house of Douglas
in France.

James Douglas had obtained the keys from Gervais Bonpoint, the trusty
agent of the Avondales in Paris, who also attended to the foreign
concerns of most others of the Scottish nobility. So the four men had
taken possession, none saying them nay, and, indeed, in the disordered
state of the government, but few being aware of their presence.

Upon an old bedstead hastily covered with plaids, Malise proceeded to
make his prisoner comfortable. Then, having washed the wound and
carefully examined it by candlelight, he pronounced his verdict:

"The young cheat-the-wuddie will do yet, and live to swing by the lang
cord about his craig!"

Which, when interpreted in the vulgar, conveyed at once an expectation
of a life to be presently prolonged to the swarthy de Sille, but after
a time to be cut suddenly short by the hangman.

Every day James Douglas and Sholto haunted the precincts of the Hotel
de Pornic and made certain that its terrible master had not departed.
Malise wished to leave Paris and proceed at once to the De
Retz country, there to attempt in succession the marshal's great
castles of Machecoul, Tiffauges, and Champtoce, in some one of which
he was sure that the stolen maids must be immured.

But James Douglas and Sholto earnestly dissuaded him from the
adventure. How did they know (they reminded him) in which to look?
They were all fortresses of large extent, well garrisoned, and it was
as likely as not that they might spend their whole time fruitlessly
upon one, without gaining either knowledge or advantage.

Besides, they argued it was not