It was settled that they should start at daybreak and take two hundred men-at-arms.  Hannotin de Sucker had his lodging at the other end of the town, and while he was on his way home he chanced to see the spy coming out of the house of a man who was known to be on the Venetian side.  The Burgundian captain at once suspected treason; he seized Vizentin by the collar and asked him what he was doing.  The man, taken by surprise, changed colour and prevaricated so much that the captain at once took him back to Bayard’s lodging.  He found his friend just going to bed, but the two sat together over the fire, while the spy was carefully guarded.

Hannotin explained why he felt sure that there was something wrong.  Bayard at once sent for the spy, of whom he inquired his reason for going to the house of Messire Baptiste Voltege, the suspected person.  In his fright the spy gave five or six different explanations; but the Good Knight said to him:  “Vizentin, tell the truth without hiding anything, and I promise, on the word of a true gentleman, that whatever it may be, even if my death has been conspired for, I will do you no harm.  But, on the other hand, if I catch you in a lie, you will be hung to-morrow at break of day.”

The spy saw that he was caught, so he knelt down and begged for mercy, which was again positively promised him.  Then he told the whole story from beginning to end of the proposed treachery; how Manfroni would have an ambush of two hundred men-at-arms and two thousand foot-soldiers to make sure of Bayard’s destruction.  The spy owned that he had been to the house of Baptiste to tell him of this enterprise, and to advise him to find means some night to have one of the city gates opened to the Venetians, but he added that Baptiste had refused to do this.

When he had made an end of his confession the Good Knight said to him:  “Vizentin, my money has certainly been wasted upon you, for you are a bad and treacherous man ...  You have deserved death, but I will keep my promise and you shall be safe with me, but I advise you to keep out of sight, for others may not spare you.”

The spy was taken away to be closely guarded, and Bayard said to his friend, the Burgundian captain: 

“What shall we do to this Captain Manfroni who thinks to take us by a trick?  We must pay him out, and if you do what I ask you we will carry out one of those splendid adventures which were done a hundred years ago.”  “My lord, you have only to command and you will be obeyed,” was the simple reply.

“Then go at once to the lodging of the Prince of Hainault, and with my compliments tell him the whole story.  Then you must persuade him to send us to-morrow morning two thousand of his ‘landsknechte,’ and we will take them with us and leave them somewhere in ambush.  If something wonderful does not result you may blame me!”