therefore, thought himself guarded like a prince by the four
travelers, whose rooms were in the same corridor and close to his own.
Indeed, at this epoch, the roads being far from safe, travelers were in
the habit of promising each other mutual aid in case of need. Chicot
then, after bolting his door and striking the walls, which returned
everywhere a satisfactory sound, went to bed and to sleep.

But there arrived, during his first sleep, an event which the Sphynx
himself, the diviner par excellence, could not have foreseen; but the
devil was mixing himself up with Chicot's affairs, and he is more
cunning than all the Sphynxes in the world.

About half-past nine a blow was struck on the door of the room where the
clerks all slept. One of them opened in a very bad humor, and found
himself face to face with the host.

"Gentlemen," said he, "I see with pleasure that you are sleeping all
ready dressed, for I wish to render you a great service. Your masters
grew very warm over politics at supper-time, and it seems that a sheriff
of the town heard them and reported it. Now, as we are very loyal here,
the mayor sent down the watch, and they have arrested your masters and
carried them off. The prison is near the Hotel de Ville; go, my lads,
your mules are ready for you, your masters will join you on the road."

The four clerks shook like hares, ran downstairs, jumped on their mules,
and took the road back to Paris, telling the host to let their masters
know, if they should return to the hotel.

Having seen them disappear, the host went to knock very gently at one of
the doors in the corridor.

One of the merchants cried out in a loud voice, "Who is there?"

"Silence!" replied the host, "and come quietly to the door."

The merchant obeyed, but before opening, he said again--"Who are you?"

"Your host; do you not recognize my voice?"

"Mon Dieu! what is the matter?"

"Why, it seems you talked rather too freely at table, and the mayor has
been informed by some spy, and has sent to arrest you. Luckily, I
thought of showing them your clerks' room instead of yours, so that they
are busy upstairs arresting them."

"Can this be true?"

"Pure and simple truth. Make haste, and escape while you can."

"But my companions?"

"Oh! I will tell them."

And while the merchant dressed, the host awakened the others, and very
soon they all disappeared, walking on the points of their toes, that
they might not be heard.

"That