As the man passed him, he recognized Nicholas Poulain, the man to whom he had sold his armor the day before.  Shortly after, they all re-entered the room and shut the window, and then the duchess and her squire came out of the priory and went toward the litter which waited for them.  Gorenflot accompanied them to the door, exhausting himself in bows and salutations.  The curtains of the litter were still open, when a monk, in whom Chicot recognized Jacques, advanced from the Porte St. Antoine, approached, and looked earnestly into it.  The duchess then went away, and Nicholas Poulain was following, when Chicot called out from his hiding place—­

“Come here, if you please.”

Poulain started, and turned his head.

“Do not seem to notice, M. Nicholas Poulain,” said Chicot.

The lieutenant started again.  “Who are you, and what do you want?” asked he.

“I am a friend, new, but intimate; what I want will take long to explain; come here to me.”

“To you?”

“Yes; here in the ditch.”

“What for?”

“You shall know when you come.”

“But—­”

“Come and sit down here, without appearing to notice me.”

“Monsieur?”

“Oh!  M. Robert Briquet has the right to be exacting.”

“Robert Briquet!” cried Poulain, doing as he was desired.

“That is right; it seems you were taking measures in the road.”

“I!”

“Yes; there is nothing surprising that you should be a surveyor, especially as you acted under the eyes of such great people.”

“Great people!  I do not understand.”

“What! you did not know?”

“What do you mean?”

“You did not know who that lady and gentlemen on the balcony were?”

“I declare—­”

“Oh! how fortunate I am to be able to enlighten you.  Only imagine, M. Poulain; you had for admirers Madame de Montpensier and M. de Mayneville.  Do not go away.  If a still more illustrious person—­the king—­saw you—­”

“Ah!  M. Briquet—­”

“Never mind; I am only anxious for your good.”

“But what harm have I done to the king, or to you, or anybody?”

“Dear M. Poulain, my ideas may be wrong, but it seems to me that the king would not approve of his lieutenant of the Provostry acting as surveyor for M. de Mayneville; and that he might also take it ill that you should omit in your daily report the entrance of Madame de Montpensier and M. de Mayneville, yesterday, into his good city of Paris.”

“M.  Briquet, an omission is not an offense, and his majesty is too good—­”

“M.  Poulain, I see clearer than you, and I see—­”

“What?”

“A gallows.”

“M.  Briquet!”

“And more—­a new cord, four soldiers at the four cardinal points, a number of Parisians around, and a certain lieutenant of my acquaintance at the end of the cord.”