is a scar," he admitted.

Lagardere turned to the Italian. "Do you still," he asked, "hold the
Italian school to be superior to the French?"

Faenza shook his head. "Not when you practise the French method," he
answered, politely.

There was a little pause, and then AEsop, who had by this time been
released from the embrace of Cocardasse, and had sheathed his sword, came
forward and faced Lagardere. "I desire acquaintanceship, Captain
Lagardere. Men call me AEsop."

Lagardere gazed at the hunchback, and a look of displeasure banished the
mirth from his eyes. "I have heard of you," he said, curtly. "A good
sword and a bad heart. I don't like the blend. You may go to the devil."

He turned away from AEsop and bent over the lad, who still crouched at his
feet. "Now, lad, you must promise not to hurt these gentlemen, for some
of them are friends of mine."

While the bravos tried not to appear annoyed by Lagardere's banter,
which, indeed, in its simplicity vexed their simple natures greatly, the
page rose to his feet and whispered softly to his rescuer, "I have a
letter for you from the Duke de Nevers."

Lagardere extended his hand. "Give it," he said.

The page produced the letter, of which AEsop had been so anxious to gain
possession, and handed it to Lagardere, whispering as he did so, "Save me
from these ogres. I carry another letter to a lady."

Lagardere smiled. "To Gabrielle de Caylus, I'll swear," he murmured in a
low voice which was calculated only to reach the page's ears. Then he
turned again to the swordsmen. "Sirs, this lad, more fastidious than I,
dislikes your society. Pray respect his prejudices." He pushed the page
gently towards the main door. "Hop, skip, jump!"

In a moment the page had glided out of the room. AEsop made a movement as
if he were inclined to follow, but any such intention was frustrated by
Lagardere, who shut the door after the boy and stood with his back
towards it. "Stay where you are, gentlemen," he said, and there was
something so persuasive in the way in which he said it that the gentlemen
stayed where they were. Then Lagardere, as if he had almost forgotten
their presence, slowly walking down the room till he paused in the
middle, opened the letter and began to read it. As he seemed absorbed by
its contents, Staupitz on the one side and AEsop on the other came
cautiously towards him with the intention of reading the letter over his
shoulder, but Lagardere's seeming forgetf