best sleep here in my room."

"At once, monseigneur," answered he, but I caught the faintest tinge
of surprise in his accents, for never yet had it fallen to the lot of
sturdy, clumsy Gilles to assist me at my toilet.

The landlord muttered something, and I heard Gilles whispering his
reply. Then the stairs creaked under his heavy tread.

In my room I told him in half a dozen words what was afoot. For answer,
he swore a great oath that the landlord had mulled a stoup of wine for
him, which he never doubted now was drugged. I bade him go below and
fetch the wine, telling the landlord that I, too had a fancy for it.

"But what of Antoine?" he asked. "They will drug him."

"Let them. We can manage this affair, you and I, without his help.
If they did not drug him, they might haply stab him. So that in being
drugged lies his safety."

As I bade him so he did, and presently he returned with a great steaming
measure. This I emptied into a ewer, then returned it to him that he
might take it back to the host with my thanks and our appreciation. Thus
should we give them confidence that the way was clear and smooth for
them.

Thereafter there befell precisely that which already you will be
expecting, and nothing that you cannot guess. It was perhaps at the end
of an hour's silent waiting that one of them came. We had left the door
unbarred so that his entrance was unhampered. But scarce was he within
when out of the dark, on either side of him, rose Gilles and I. Before
he had realized it, he was lifted off his feet and deposited upon the
bed without a cry; the only sound being the tinkle of the knife that
dropped from his suddenly unnerved hand.

On the bed, with Gilles's great knee in his stomach, and Gilles's hands
at his throat, he was assured in unequivocal terms that at his slightest
outcry we would make an end of him. I kindled a light. We trussed him
hand and foot with the bedclothes, and then, whilst he lay impotent and
silent in his terror, I proceeded to discuss the situation with him.

I pointed out that we knew that what he had done he had done
at Saint-Eustache's instigation, therefore the true guilt was
Saint-Eustache's and upon him alone the punishment should fall. But ere
this could come to pass, he himself must add his testimony to ours--mine
and Rodenard's. If he would come to Toulouse and do that make a full
confession of how he had been set to do this murdering--the Chevalier
de Saint-Eustache, who