t have
you to say to me?"

"Come," said the Gascon, "that is good. Now we can chat at our ease, and
it will not take us many seconds to understand each other, I promise
you." He turned to Staupitz. "What was the sum offered for our services?"
He knew very well, for Staupitz had told him as they huddled together
before, while the hand of Peyrolles was upon the latch, but he thought
that it made the situation more impressive if he affected ignorance.

Staupitz answered: "Three hundred pistoles."

Now this was a fair market price enough as the tariff went for ambuscades
and assassinations of the kind. It meant twenty-five pistoles each to the
eight subordinates of the band, and a comfortable hundred pistoles for
old Papa Staupitz to pocket as the patron of the enterprise. But
Cocardasse held up his hands in well-affected horror and amazement.
"Three hundred pistoles!" he echoed; "for ruddling the blades and
risking the lives of nine of the finest swordsmen in Europe?
Preposterous!--there must be some mistake! We won't haggle. We must have
three thousand pistoles or--good-bye."

At this audacious proposal to raise their blood-wages exactly ten times,
the eyes of the bravos glittered avariciously, and they drummed approval
on the table with their fists. Cocardasse deprecated this display of
interest with a gentle wave of the hand, and, leaning back in his chair,
eyed Peyrolles coolly, sure that he plied him with a vise. And Cocardasse
was right.

Peyrolles hesitated, but also Peyrolles reflected. It had been his wish
to buy his bandits as cheaply as he could, but it was evident that they
were better informed about the night's business than he intended them to
be. It was essential that the work must be done that night, and it was
also evident that the gentlemen of the sword were quite prepared to take
their leaves if their terms were not agreed to. He sighed and said, "You
shall have the money."

Cocardasse nodded approvingly. He was enjoying himself immensely in this
baiting of the valet of Gonzague, but he allowed no sign of entertainment
to ripple over his crimson countenance.

"Good," he said, quietly, "but I take it that you have not got such a sum
as three thousand pistoles about you."

Peyrolles shook his head. "I have brought with me the three hundred
pistoles that were agreed upon," he said, sourly, with an emphasis upon
the closing words of his speech. Cocardasse caught him up promptly.

"Agreed upon in i