"Anything else?"
"I discovered that Jacques was practicing with the foils before he began with the sword."
"Ah! you discovered that also. Anything else."
"Give me more to drink, or I shall remember nothing."
"Remember that you are beginning your sixth bottle," said Borromée laughing.
"Did we not come here to drink?"
"Certainly we did."
"Let us drink then."
"Well," said Borromée, "now do you remember?"
"What?"
"What else you saw in the convent."
"Well, I saw that the monks were really soldiers, and instead of obeying Dom Modeste, obeyed you."
"Ah, truly: but doubtless that was not all?"
"No; but more to drink, or my memory will fail me."
And as his bottle was empty, he held out his glass for more.
"Well, now do you remember?"
"Oh, yes, I should think so."
"Well, what else?"
"I saw that there was a plot."
"A plot!" cried Borromée, turning pale.
"Yes, a plot."
"Against whom?"
"Against the king."
"Of what nature?"
"To try and carry him off."
"When?"
"When he was returning from Vincennes."
"Sacre!"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. And you found out that?"
"Yes."
"And warned the king?"
"Parbleu! that was what I came for."
"Then you were the cause of the attempt failing?"
"Yes, I."
"Hang him!" murmured Borromée.
"What did you say?"
"I said that you have good eyes, my friend."
"Bah! I have seen more than that; pass me one of your bottles, and I will tell you what I have seen."
Borromée hastened to comply with Chicot's desire.
"Let me hear," said he.
"Firstly, I have seen M. de Mayenne wounded."
"Bah!"
"No wonder, he was on my route. And then I have seen the taking of Cahors."
"How? the taking of Cahors?"
"Certainly. Ah! captain, it was a grand thing to see, and a brave man like you would have been delighted."
"I do not doubt it. You were, then, near the king of Navarre?"
"Side by side, my friend, as we are now."
"And you left him?"
"To announce this news to the king of France."