“I will do that, master.  You can take my word that by tomorrow at noon the lodging of these four gentlemen will be strictly watched.  This is a business after my own heart.”

“In the first place, Paolo, take a note from me to the Hotel de Cleves and wait for an answer.”

The note was a short one.  It merely gave the name of the auberge at which he had taken up his quarters, and added: 

If your eminence will be good enough to send me every morning a list of any visits that you may intend to pay, or any journey that you may make during the day, it would enable me to regulate my movements accordingly in order to be always here and ready to carry out any orders that you may send me from your hotel.

The cardinal’s reply was even more brief: 

It is well thought of.  I shall go nowhere but to the Louvre tomorrow, and shall probably be there the greater part of the day.  Unless you hear from me to the contrary, you need only remain in between twelve and one.

The next morning Paolo appeared dressed in ragged clothes.

“What is that bundle of papers that you have got?”

“They are lampoons on the cardinal.  Nothing so natural as that I should try and sell them in front of the Hotel de Vendome.”

“Nothing could be better, Paolo.”

“I have already picked up a dozen gamins, master, sharp little beggars, who jumped at the idea of being set to watch people.  Between them everyone who goes in or comes out from the hotel will be followed, and they will, in the first place, find out his name and bring it to me, after that they will follow him wherever he goes, and from time to time let me know what he is doing.”

Several days passed.  The four gentlemen specially named, together with several others, were frequently at the hotel.  There was in this, however, nothing suspicious, as Hector easily learned that they were all vassals or close friends of the house of Vendome.  On the third day, however, he heard that at least a dozen of these gentlemen met in twos or threes at various cabarets near the Duke of Beaufort’s, and spent the greater portion of their time there.  Hector at once procured dresses suitable for gentlemen of the middle class for the troopers, and gave them instructions to spend the greater portion of their time at the cabarets at which these gentlemen stopped.  Their reports were that they talked of indifferent subjects, but that they were evidently waiting for someone, as they invariably turned a glance at the door whenever a fresh comer entered.

The next day Hector received a note from the cardinal: 

I am just starting with the Duke of Orleans for Maisons, where I shall dine with him.

Two hours later the three troopers who had been out returned almost at the same minute with the news that the persons they were watching had all got up suddenly and gone out after a messenger wearing the Beaufort cognizance had come in and spoken to them.  And a few minutes later Paolo arrived and said that the Duke of Beaufort had gone with the Count of Beaupuis to the convent of the Capuchins, and that several horses had been taken there.