le. Given at the hotel of the
provost of Paris, 26th of October, 1585."

Scarcely had the crier ceased to speak, when the crowd began to undulate
like a serpent behind the line of soldiers.

"What is the meaning of this?" cried all.

"Oh! it is to keep us out of Paris," said the cavalier, who had been
speaking in a low voice to his companions. "These guards, this crier,
these bars, and these trumpets are all for us; we ought to be proud of
them."

"Room!" cried the officer in command; "make room for those who have the
right to pass!"

"Cap de Bious! I know who will pass, whoever is kept out!" said the
Gascon, leaping into the cleared space. He walked straight up to the
officer who had spoken, and who looked at him for some moments in
silence, and then said:

"You have lost your hat, it appears, monsieur?"

"Yes, monsieur."

"Is it in the crowd?"

"No. I had just received a letter from my sweetheart, and was reading
it, cap de Bious! near the river, about a mile from here, when a gust of
wind carried away both my letter and my hat. I ran after the letter,
although the button of my hat was a single diamond; I caught my letter,
but my hat was carried by the wind into the middle of the river. It will
make the fortune of the poor devil who finds it."--"So that you have
none?"

"Oh, there are plenty in Paris, cap de Bious! I will buy a more
magnificent one, and put in it a still larger diamond."

The officer shrugged his shoulders slightly, and said, "Have you a
card?"

"Certainly I have one--or rather two."

"One is enough, if it be the right one."

"But it cannot be wrong--oh, no, cap de Bious! Is it to M. de Loignac
that I have the honor of speaking?"

"It is possible," said the officer coldly, and evidently not much
charmed at the recognition.

"M. de Loignac, my compatriot?"

"I do not say no."

"My cousin!"

"Good! Your card?"

"Here it is;" and the Gascon drew out the half of a card, carefully cut.

"Follow me," said De Loignac, without looking at it, "and your
companions, if you have any. We will verify the admissions."

The Gascon obeyed, and five other gentlemen followed him. The first was
adorned with a magnificent cuirass, so marvelous in its work that it
seemed as if it had come out of the hands of Benvenuto Cellini. However,
as the make of this cuirass was somewhat old-fashioned, its magnificence
attracted more laughter than admiration; and it is true that no other
part of the cos