s master, nor your friend his son, nor your friend's friend the old
Huguenot witch! We will let them hang themselves when their time comes;
but it is the Golden Dog we mean to hang at present, Le Gardeur!"

"Yes! I see!" replied Le Gardeur, looking very hazy. "Hang the Golden
Dog as much as you will, but as to the man that touches his master, I
say he will have to fight ME, that is all." Le Gardeur, after one or
two vain attempts, succeeded in drawing his sword, and laid it upon the
table.

"Do you see that, De Pean? That is the sword of a gentleman, and I will
run it through the heart of any man who says he will hurt a hair of the
head of Pierre Philibert, or the Bourgeois, or even the old Huguenot
witch, as you call Dame Rochelle, who is a lady, and too good to be
either your mother, aunt, or cater cousin, in any way, De Pean!"

"By St. Picot! You have mistaken your man, De Pean!" whispered Cadet.
"Why the deuce did you pitch upon Le Gardeur to carry out your bright
idea?"

"I pitched upon him because he is the best man for our turn. But I am
right. You will see I am right. Le Gardeur is the pink of morality when
he is sober. He would kill the devil when he is half drunk, but when
wholly drunk he would storm paradise, and sack and slay like a German
ritter. He would kill his own grandfather. I have not erred in choosing
him."

Bigot watched this by-play with intense interest. He saw that Le Gardeur
was a two-edged weapon just as likely to cut his friends as his enemies,
unless skilfully held in hand, and blinded as to when and whom he should
strike.

"Come, Le Gardeur, put up your sword!" exclaimed Bigot, coaxingly; "we
have better game to bring down to-night than the Golden Dog. Hark! They
are coming! Open wide the doors, and let the blessed peacemakers enter!"

"The peacemakers!" ejaculated Cadet; "the cause of every quarrel among
men since the creation of the world! What made you send for the women,
Bigot?"

"Oh, not to say their prayers, you may be sure, old misogynist, but this
being a gala-night at the Palace, the girls and fiddlers were ordered
up by De Pean, and we will see you dance fandangoes with them until
morning, Cadet."

"No you won't! Damn the women! I wish you had kept them away, that is
all. It spoils my fun, Bigot!"

"But it helps the Company's! Here they come!"

Their appearance at the door caused a hubbub of excitement among the
gentlemen, who hurried forward to salute a dozen or mor