re, captain of his royal highness's guards. "Well," said he, "he is
more prudent than I thought; but where is he? Ah!"

This exclamation was uttered at the sight of a man dressed in the same
red livery which he himself concealed under his cloak, and who followed
the carriage mounted on a superb Spanish jenet, which, however, he could
not have ridden long, for while the carriage horses were covered with
foam, this one was quite fresh.

Lafare at once demanded a room and supper; meanwhile the man dismounted,
threw the reins to a page, and went toward the pavilion.

"Well," said Dubois, "all this is as clear as a mountain stream; but how
is it that the face of the chevalier does not appear? is he too much
occupied with his chicken to have heard the carriage? Let us see. As to
you, monseigneur," continued Dubois, "be assured; I will not disturb
your tete-a-tete. Enjoy at your pleasure this commencement of ingenuity,
which promises such happy results. Ah! monseigneur, it is certain that
you are short-sighted."

Dubois went down, and again took up his post at his observatory. As he
approached it, Gaston rose, after putting his note in his pocket-book.

"Ah," said Dubois, "I must have that pocket-book. I would pay high for
it. He is going out, he buckles on his sword, he looks for his cloak;
where is he going? Let us see: to wait for his royal highness's exit?
No, no, that is not the face of a man who is going to kill another; I
could sooner believe he was about to spend the evening under the windows
of his sweetheart.

"Ah, if he had that idea it would be a means--"

It would be difficult to render the expression which passed over the
face of Dubois at this moment.

"Yes, but if I were to get a sword-thrust in the enterprise, how
monseigneur would laugh; bah! there is no danger: our men are at their
post, and besides, nothing venture, nothing gain."

Encouraged by this reflection, Dubois made the circuit of the hotel, in
order to appear at one end of the little lane as Gaston appeared at the
other.

As he had expected, at the end of the lane he found Tapin, who had
placed L'Eveille in the courtyard; in two words he explained his
project. Tapin pointed out to Dubois one man leaning on the step of an
outer door, a second was playing a kind of Jew's harp, and seemed an
itinerant musician, and there was another, too well hidden to be seen.

Dubois, thus sure of support, returned into the lane.

He soon perceived a f