ust have the mystery instantly," resumed the student; "or else,
my advice is that we should hang the bailiff of the courts, by way of a
morality and a comedy."

"Well said," cried the people, "and let us begin the hanging with his
sergeants."

A grand acclamation followed. The four poor fellows began to turn pale,
and to exchange glances. The crowd hurled itself towards them, and they
already beheld the frail wooden railing, which separated them from it,
giving way and bending before the pressure of the throng.

It was a critical moment.

"To the sack, to the sack!" rose the cry on all sides.

At that moment, the tapestry of the dressing-room, which we have
described above, was raised, and afforded passage to a personage, the
mere sight of whom suddenly stopped the crowd, and changed its wrath
into curiosity as by enchantment.

"Silence! silence!"

The personage, but little reassured, and trembling in every limb,
advanced to the edge of the marble table with a vast amount of bows,
which, in proportion as he drew nearer, more and more resembled
genuflections.

In the meanwhile, tranquillity had gradually been restored. All that
remained was that slight murmur which always rises above the silence of
a crowd.

"Messieurs the bourgeois," said he, "and mesdemoiselles the
_bourgeoises_, we shall have the honor of declaiming and representing,
before his eminence, monsieur the cardinal, a very beautiful morality
which has for its title, 'The Good Judgment of Madame the Virgin Mary.'
I am to play Jupiter. His eminence is, at this moment, escorting the
very honorable embassy of the Duke of Austria; which is detained,
at present, listening to the harangue of monsieur the rector of the
university, at the gate Baudets. As soon as his illustrious eminence,
the cardinal, arrives, we will begin."

It is certain, that nothing less than the intervention of Jupiter was
required to save the four unfortunate sergeants of the bailiff of the
courts. If we had the happiness of having invented this very veracious
tale, and of being, in consequence, responsible for it before our Lady
Criticism, it is not against us that the classic precept, _Nec deus
intersit_, could be invoked. Moreover, the costume of Seigneur Jupiter,
was very handsome, and contributed not a little towards calming the
crowd, by attracting all its attention. Jupiter was clad in a coat of
mail, covered with black velvet, with gilt nails; and had it not been
for th