“No；thankstoSte。Genevieveandyourlordship，whomwecallinthisvillagethepoorman’sfriend，Ihaveafowlinthepot。“
ThisphrasesopleasedmethatIrepeatedittotheking。Ittickledhisfancyalso，andforsomeyearsitwasaverycommonremarkofthatgoodandgreatruler，thathehopedtolivetoseeeverypeasantwithafowlinhispot。
“Butwhy，“IrememberIonceaskedthishonestfellow——itwasonthelastoccasionofthesorrelfallinglamethere——“doyouthankSte。Genevieve？“
“Sheismypatronsaint，“heanswered。
“ThenyouareaParisian？“
“Yourlordshipisalwaysright。“
“Butdoeshersaintshipdoyouanygood？“Iaskedcuriously。
“Certainly，byyourlordship’sleave。Mywifepraystoherandsheloosensthenailsinthesorrel’sshoes。“
“Infactshepaysoffanoldgrudge，“Ianswered，“fortherewasatimewhenParislikedmelittle；butharkye，mastersmith，IamnotsurethatthisisnotanactoftreasontoconspirewithMadameGenevieveagainstthecomfortoftheking’sminister。Whatthinkyou，yourascal；canyoupassthejusticeelmwithoutashiver？“
Thisthrewthesimplefellowintoagreatfear，whichthesightofthelivreofgoldspeedilyconvertedintojoyasstupendous。
LeavinghimstillstaringathisfortuneIrodeaway；butwhenwehadgonesomelittledistance，theaspectofhisface，whenI
chargedhimwithtreason，ormyownunassisteddiscriminationsuggestedaclewtothephenomenon。
“LaTrape，“Isaidtomyvalet——thesamewhowaswithmeatCahors——
“whatisthenameoftheinnkeeperatPoissy，atwhosehouseweareaccustomedtodine？“
“Andrew，mayitpleaseyourlordship。“
“Andrew！Ithoughtso！“Iexclaimed，smitingmythigh。“SimonandAndrewhisbrother！Answer，knave，and，ifyouhavepermittedmetoberobbedthesemanytimes，trembleforyourears。IshenotbrothertothesmithatAubergenvillewhohasjustshodmyhorse？“
LaTrapeprofessedtobeignorantonthispoint，butagroomwhohadstayedbehindwithme，havingsoughtmypermissiontospeak，saiditwasso，addingthatMasterAndrewhadrisenintheworldthroughlargedealingsinhay，whichhewaswonttotakedailyintoParisandsell，andthathedidnotnowacknowledgeorseeanythingofhisbrotherthesmith，thoughitwasbelievedthatheretainedasneakinglikingforhim。
Onreceivingthisconfirmationofmysuspicions，myvanityaswellasmysenseofjusticeledmetoactwiththepromptitudewhichI
haveexhibitedingreateremergencies。IratedLaTrapeforhiscarelessnessofmyinterestsinpermittingthisdeceptiontobepracticedonme；andthemainbodyofmyattendantsbeingnowinsight，IorderedhimtotaketwoSwissandarrestbothbrotherswithoutdelay。Itwantedyetthreehoursofsunset，andIjudgedthat，byhardriding，theymightreachRosnywiththeirprisonersbeforebedtime。
IspentsometimewhilestillontheroadinconsideringwhatpunishmentIshouldinflictontheculprits；andfinallylaidasidethepurposeIhadatfirstconceivedofputtingthemtodeath——aninflictiontheyhadrichlydeserved——infavorofaplanwhichI
thoughtmightoffermesomeamusement。FortheexecutionofthisI
dependeduponMaignan，myequerry，whowasamanoflivelyimagination，beingthesamewhohadofhisownmotionarrangedandcarriedoutthetriumphalprocession，inwhichIwasbornetoRosnyafterthebattleofIvry。BeforeIsatdowntosupperIgavehimhisdirections；andasIhadexpected，newswasbroughttomewhileIwasattablethattheprisonershadarrived。
ThereuponIinformedtheduchessandthecompanygenerally，for，aswasusual，anumberofmycountryneighborshadcometocomplimentmeonmyreturn，thattherewassomesportofararekindonfoot；
andweadjourned，Maignan，followedbyfourpagesbearinglights，leadingthewaytothatendoftheterracewhichabutsonthelindenavenue。Here，ascoreofgroomsholdingtorchesalofthadbeenarrangedinacirclesothattheimpromptutheaterthusformed，whichMaignanhadorderedwithmuchtaste，wasaslightasintheday。Onaslopingbankatoneendseatshadbeenplacedforthosewhohadsuppedatmytable，whiletherestofthecompanyfoundsuchplacesofvantageastheycould；theirnumber，indeed，amounting，withmyhousehold，totwohundredpersons。Inthecenteroftheopenspaceasmallforgefirehadbeenkindled，theredglowofwhichaddedmuchtothestrangenessofthescene；andontheanvilbesideitwererangedanumberofhorses’anddonkeys’
shoes，withafullcomplementofthetoolsusedbysmiths。AllbeingreadyIgavethewordtobringintheprisoners，andescortedbyLaTrapeandsixofmyguards，theyweremarchedintothearena。
Intheirpaleandterrifiedfaces，andtheshakinglimbswhichcouldscarcesupportthemtotheirappointedstations，Ireadboththeconsciousnessofguiltandtheapprehensionofimmediatedeath；
itwasplainthattheyexpectednothingless。Iwasverywillingtoplaywiththeirfears，andforsometimelookedattheminsilence，whileallwonderedwithlivelycuriositywhatwouldensue。
Ithenaddressedthemgravely，tellingtheinnkeeperthatIknewwellhehadloosenedeachyearashoeofmyhorse，inorderthathisbrothermightprofitbythejobofreplacingit；andwentontoreprovethesmithfortheingratitudewhichhadledhimtoreturnmybountybytheconceptionofsoknavishatrick。
Uponthistheyconfessedtheirguilt，andflingingthemselvesupontheirkneeswithmanytearsandprayersbeggedformercy。This，afteradecentinterval，Ipermittedmyselftogrant。“Yourlives，whichareforfeited，shallbespared，“Ipronounced。“Butpunishedyoumustbe。IthereforeordainthatSimon，thesmith，atoncefit，nail，andproperlysecureapairofironshoestoAndrew’sheels，andthatthenAndrew，whobythattimewillhavepickedupsomethingofthesmith’sart，dothesametoSimon。Sowillyoubothlearntoavoidsuchshoeingtricksforthefuture。“
Itmaywellbeimaginedthatajudgmentsowhimsical，andsojustlyadaptedtotheoffense，charmedallsavetheculprits；andinahundredwaysthepleasureofthosepresentwasevinced，tosuchadegree，indeed，thatMaignanhadsomedifficultyinrestoringsilenceandgravitytotheassemblage。Thisdone，however，MasterAndrewwastakeninhandandhiswoodenshoesremoved。Thetoolsofhistradewereplacedbeforethesmith，whocastglancessopiteous，firstathisbrother’sfeetandthenattheshoesontheanvil，asagaingaverisetoaprodigiousamountofmerriment，mypagesinparticularwell-nighforgettingmypresence，androllingaboutinamannerunpardonableatanothertime。However，Irebukedthemsharply，andwasabouttoorderthesentencetobecarriedintoeffect，whentheremembranceofthemanypleasantsimplicitieswhichthesmithhadutteredtome，actinguponanaturaldispositiontomercy，whichthemostcalumniousofmyenemieshaveneverquestioned，inducedmetogivetheprisonersachanceofescape。“Listen，“Isaid，“SimonandAndrew。Yoursentencehasbeenpronounced，andwillcertainlybeexecutedunlessyoucanavailyourselfoftheconditionInowoffer。Youshallhavethreeminutes；ifinthattimeeitherofyoucanmakeagoodjoke，heshallgofree。Ifnot，letamanattendtothebellows，LaTrape！“
Thisaddedafreshsatisfactiontomyneighbors，whowerewellassurednowthatIhadnotpromisedthemanovelentertainmentwithoutgoodgrounds；forthegrimacesofthetwoknavesthusbiddentojestiftheywouldsavetheirskins，weresodivertingtheywouldhavemadeanunlaugh。Theylookedatmewiththeireyesaswideasplates，andforthewholeofthetimeofgraceneverawordcouldtheyuttersavehowlsformercy。“Simon，“I
saidgravely，whenthetimewasup，“haveyouajoke？No。Andrew，myfriend，haveyouajoke？No。Then——“
Iwasgoingontoorderthesentencetobecarriedout，whentheinnkeeperflunghimselfagainuponhisknees，andcriedoutloudly——
asmuchtomyastonishmentastotheregretofthebystanders，whowerebentonseeingsostrangeashoeingfeat——“Oneword，mylord；
Icangiveyounojoke，butIcandoaservice，aneminentservicetotheking。Icandiscloseaconspiracy！“
Iwassomewhattakenabackbythissuddenandpublicannouncement。
ButIhadbeentoolongintheking’semploymentnottohaveremarkedhowstrangelythingsarebroughttolight。Onhearingtheman’swordstherefore——whichwerefollowedbyastrickensilence——I
lookedsharplyatthefacesofsuchofthosepresentasitwaspossibletosuspect，butfailedtoobserveanysignofconfusionordismay，oranythingmoreparticularthansoabruptastatementwascalculatedtoproduce。Doubtingmuchwhetherthemanwasnotplayingwithme，Iaddressedhimsternly，warninghimtobeware，lestinhisanxietytosavehisheelsbyfalselyaccusingothers，heshouldlosehishead。Forthatifhisconspiracyshouldprovetobeaninventionofhisown，Ishouldcertainlyconsideritmydutytohanghimforthwith。
Heheardmeout，butneverthelesspersistedinhisstory，addingdesperately，“Itisaplot，mylord，toassassinateyouandthekingonthesameday。“
Thisstatementstruckmeablow；forIhadgoodreasontoknowthatatthattimethekinghadalienatedmanybyhisinfatuationforMadamedeVerneuil；whileIhadalwaystoreckonfirstlywithallwhohatedhim，andsecondlywithallwhommypursuitofhisinterestsinjured，eitherinrealityorappearance。Ithereforeimmediatelydirectedthattheprisonersshouldbeledinclosecustodytothechamberadjoiningmyprivatecloset，andtakingtheprecautiontocallmyguardsaboutme，sinceIknewnotwhatattemptdespairmightnotbreed，Iwithdrewmyself，makingsuchapologiestothecompanyasthenatureofthecasepermitted。
IorderedSimonthesmithtobefirstbroughttome，andinthepresenceofMaignanonly，Iseverelyexaminedhimastohisknowledgeofanyconspiracy。Hedenied，however，thathehadeverheardofthemattersreferredtobyhisbrother，andpersistedsofirmlyinthedenialthatIwasinclinedtobelievehim。IntheendhewastakenoutandAndrewwasbroughtin。Theinnkeeper’sdemeanorwassuchasIhaveoftenobservedinintriguersbroughtsuddenlytobook。Heaverredtheexistenceoftheconspiracy，andthatitsobjectswerethosewhichhehadstated。Healsoofferedtogiveuphisassociates，butconditionedthatheshoulddothisinhisownway；undertakingtoconductmeandoneotherperson——butnomore，lestthealarmshouldbegiven——toaplaceinParisonthefollowingnight，wherewecouldheartheplottersstatetheirplansanddesigns。Inthiswayonly，heurged，couldproofpositivebeobtained。
Iwasmuchstartledbythisproposal，andinclinedtothinkitatrap；butfurtherconsiderationdispelledmyfears。Theinnkeeperhadheldnoparleywithanyonesavehisguardsandmyselfsincehisarrest，andcouldneitherhavewarnedhisaccomplices，noracquaintedthemwithanydesigntheexecutionofwhichshoulddependonhisconfessiontome。Ithereforeacceptedhisterms——
withaprivatereservationthatIshouldhavehelpathand——andbeforedaybreaknextmorningleftRosny，whichIhadonlyseenbytorchlight，withmyprisonerandaselectbodyofSwiss。WeenteredParisintheafternooninthreeparties，withaslittleparadeaspossible，andwentstraighttotheArsenal，whence，assoonaseveningfell，IhurriedwithonlytwoarmedattendantstotheLouvre。
Areturnsosuddenandunexpectedwasasgreatasurprisetothecourtastotheking，andIwasnotslowtomarkwithaninwardsmilethediscomposurewhichappearedveryclearly，onthefacesofseveral，asthecrowdinthechamberfellbackformetoapproachmymaster。Iwascareful，however，torememberthatthismightarisefromothercausesthanguilt。Thekingreceivedmewithhiswontedaffection；anddiviningatoncethatImusthavesomethingimportanttocommunicate，withdrewwithmetothefartherendofthechamber，wherewewereoutofearshotofthecourt。Ithererelatedthestorytohismajesty，keepingbacknothing。
Heshookhishead，sayingmerely:“Thefishtoescapethefryingpan，grandmaster，willjumpintothefire。Andhumannature，saveinthecaseofyouandme，whocantrustoneanother，isveryfishy。“
Iwastouchedbythisgraciouscompliment，butnotconvinced。“Youhavenotseentheman，sire，“Isaid，“andIhavehadthatadvantage。“
“Andbelievehim？“
“Inpart，“Iansweredwithcaution。“Sofaratleastastobeassuredthathethinkstosavehisskin，whichhewillonlydoifhebetellingthetruth。MayIbegyou，sire，“Iaddedhastily，seeingthedirectionofhisglance，“nottolooksofixedlyattheDukeofEpernon？Hegrowsuneasy。“
“Consciencemakes——youknowtherest。“
“Nay，sire，withsubmission，“Ireplied，“Iwillanswerforhim；ifhebenotdrivenbyfeartodosomethingreckless。“
“Good！Itakeyourwarranty，DukeofSully，“thekingsaid，withtheeasygracewhichcamesonaturaltohim。“Butnowinthismatterwhatwouldyouhavemedo？“