o a great fear, which the sight of the
livre of gold speedily converted into joy as stupendous. Leaving him still
staring at his fortune I rode away; but when we had gone some little
distance, the aspect of his face, when I charged him with treason, or my
own unassisted discrimination suggested a clew to the phenomenon.

"La Trape," I said to my valet--the same who was with me at Cahors--"what
is the name of the innkeeper at Poissy, at whose house we are accustomed
to dine?"

"Andrew, may it please your lordship."

"Andrew! I thought so!" I exclaimed, smiting my thigh. "Simon and Andrew
his brother! Answer, knave, and, if you have permitted me to be robbed
these many times, tremble for your ears. Is he not brother to the smith at
Aubergenville who has just shod my horse?"

La Trape professed to be ignorant on this point, but a groom who had
stayed behind with me, having sought my permission to speak, said it was
so, adding that Master Andrew had risen in the world through large
dealings in hay, which he was wont to take daily into Paris and sell, and
that he did not now acknowledge or see anything of his brother the smith,
though it was believed that he retained a sneaking liking for him.

On receiving this confirmation of my suspicions, my vanity as well as my
sense of justice led me to act with the promptitude which I have exhibited
in greater emergencies. I rated La Trape for his carelessness of my
interests in permitting this deception to be practiced on me; and the main
body of my attendants being now in sight, I ordered him to take two Swiss
and arrest both brothers without delay. It wanted yet three hours of
sunset, and I judged that, by hard riding, they might reach Rosny with
their prisoners before bedtime.

I spent some time while still on the road in considering what punishment I
should inflict on the culprits; and finally laid aside the purpose I had
at first conceived of putting them to death--an infliction they had richly
deserved--in favor of a plan which I thought might offer me some
amusement. For the execution of this I depended upon Maignan, my equerry,
who was a man of lively imagination, being the same who had of his own
motion arranged and carried out the triumphal procession, in which I was
borne to Rosny after the battle of Ivry. Before I sat down to supper I
gave him his directions; and as I had expected, news was brought to me
while I was at table that the prisoners had arrived.

Thereup