"Not I," said the king's treasurer, beginning to twirl his moustache
also: "the doctors have always told me that I am of too full a complexion
and that it would do me all the good in the world to be bled now and
then. But what would be an advantage to me would be dangerous to you.
It's easy to see from your jaundiced phiz that for you blood-letting is
no cure."

"And you would really go that length? You would risk a duel if I refused
to let you get to the bottom of my mystery?"

"Yes, on my honour! Well, how is it to be?"

"My dear boy," said de Jars to the youth, "we are caught, and may as well
yield gracefully. You don't know this big fellow as well as I do. He's
obstinacy itself. You can make the most obstinate donkey go on by
pulling its tail hard enough, but when Jeannin gets a notion into his
pate, not all the legions of hell can get it out again. Besides that,
he's a skilful fencer, so there's nothing for it but to trust him."

"Just as you like," said the young man; "you know all my circumstances
and how important it is that my secret should be kept."

"Oh! among Jeannin's many vices there are a few virtues, and of these
discretion is the greatest, so that his curiosity is harmless. A quarter
of an hour hence he will let himself be killed rather than reveal what
just now he is ready to risk his skin to find out, whether we will or
no."

Jeannin nodded approvingly, refilled the glasses, and raising his to his