Castilian, he was now prepared to make use of Hugues, who hung like a
ripe pear ready to drop into Prince Edward's mouth. "For," as the Sieur
d'Arques pointed out in his letter, "I am by nature inclined to favor you
brave English, and so, beyond doubt, is the good God. And I will deliver
Arques to you; and thus and thus you may take Normandy and the major
portion of France; and thus and thus will I do, and thus and thus must
you reward me."

Said d'Andreghen, "I will hang him at dawn; and thus and thus may the
devil do with his soul!"

Then with his company d'Andreghen rode to Arques. A herald declared to
the men of that place how the matter stood, and bade Hugues come forth
and dance upon nothing. The Sieur d'Arques spat curses, like a cat driven
into a corner, and wished to fight, but the greater part of his garrison
were not willing to do so in such a cause: and so d'Andreghen took him
and carried him off.

In anger having sworn by the Blood of Christ to hang Hugues d'Arques to a
certain tree, d'Andreghen had no choice in calm but to abide by his oath.
This day being the Sabbath, he deferred the matter; but the Marshal
promised to see to it that when morning broke the Sieur d'Arques should
dangle side by side with his messenger.

Thus far the Vicomte de Puysange. He concluded his narrative with a dry
chuckle. "And I think we are very well rid of him, Adhelmar. Holy Maclou!
that I should have taken the traitor for a true man, though! He would
sell France, you observe,--chaffered, they tell me, like a pedlar over
the price of Normandy. Heh, the huckster, the triple-damned Jew!"