"No."

"Then why do they close the door. I do not understand it."

"There is no need that you should," replied the Swiss, laughing at his
own wit.

CHAPTER II.

WHAT PASSED OUTSIDE THE PORTE ST. ANTOINE.

One of the groups was formed of a considerable number of citizens. They
surrounded four or five of a martial appearance, whom the closing of the
doors annoyed very much, as it seemed, for they cried with all their
might, "The door! the door!"

Robert Briquet advanced toward this group, and began to cry also, "The
door! the door!"

One of the cavaliers, charmed at this, turned toward him and said, "Is
it not shameful, monsieur, that they should close the gates in open day,
as though the Spaniards or the English were besieging Paris?"

Robert Briquet looked attentively at the speaker, who seemed to be about
forty-five years of age, and the principal personage in the group. "Yes,
monsieur," replied he, "you are right: but may I venture to ask what you
think their motive is for these precautions?"

"Pardieu! the fear they have lest some one should eat their Salcede."

"Diable!" said a voice, "a sad meal."

Robert Briquet turned toward the speaker, whose voice had a strong
Gascon accent, and saw a young man from twenty to twenty-five, resting
his hand on the crupper of the horse of the first speaker. His head was
bare; he had probably lost his hat in the melee.

"But as they say," replied Briquet, "that this Salcede belongs to M. de
Guise--"

"Bah! they say that!"

"Then you do not believe it, monsieur?"

"Certainly not," replied the cavalier, "doubtless, if he had, the duke
would not have let him be taken, or at all events would not have allowed
him to have been carried from Brussels to Paris bound hand and foot,
without even trying to rescue him."

"An attempt to rescue him," replied Briquet, "would have been very
dangerous, because, whether it failed or succeeded, it would have been
an avowal, on the duke's part, that he had conspired against the Duc
d'Anjou."

"M. de Guise would not, I am sure, have been restrained by such
considerations; therefore, as he has not defended Salcede, it is certain
that he is not one of his men."

"Excuse me, monsieur, if I insist, but it is not I who invent, for it
appears that Salcede has confessed."

"Where? before the judges?"

"No, monsieur; at the torture."

"They asserted that he did, but they do not repeat what he said."

"Excuse me again, mon