rich man grown old, with perchance a will in his chest? Or a young heir
that stands in my lord's way? Whichever it be, or whatever it be, trust
me and our friend here, and my butcher's gully shall cut the knot."

Tignonville shook his head.

"But something there is," the lean man persisted obstinately; and he cast
a suspicious glance at Tignonville's clothes. It was evident that the
two had discussed him, and the motives of his presence there. "Have the
dice proved fickle, my lord, and are you for the jewellers' shops on the
bridge to fill your purse again? If so, take my word, it were better to
go three than one, and we'll enlist."

"Ay, we know shops on the bridge where you can plunge your arm elbow-deep
in gold," the cripple muttered, his eyes sparkling greedily. "There's
Baillet's, noble sir! There's a shop for you! And there's the man's
shop who works for the King. He's lame like me. And I know the way to
all. Oh, it will be a merry night if they ring before the dawn. It must
be near daybreak now. And what's that?"

Ay, what was it? A score of voices called for silence; a breathless hush
fell on the crowd. A moment the fiercest listened, with parted lips and
starting eyes. Then, "It was the bell!" cried one, "let us out!" "It
was not!" cried another. "It was a pistol shot!" "Anyhow let us out!"
the crowd roared in chorus; "let us out!" And they pressed in a furious
mass towards the door, as if they would force it, signal or no signal.

But the pikemen stood fast, and the throng, checked in their first rush,
turned on one another, and broke into wrangling and disputing; boasting,
and calling Heaven and the saints to witness how thoroughly, how