"Where I am?" "In this same spot." "And you?" "I am going to get the order for your arrest." "Ah, my friend, my dear baron, my dear count! But you must tell me your name and address in case I may need you." "Useless. I will return at once." "Yes, return as soon as possible; and if you chance to meet that accursed Marmagne on the road, tell him--" "What?" "Tell him that I have sworn an oath that he shall die by no hand but mine." "Adieu!" cried the viscount; "adieu, and wait here for me." "_Au revoir!_" said Aubry. "I will expect you soon. Ah! you are a friend indeed, a man one can trust, and I would be glad to know--" "Adieu, Seigneur Student," said the page, who had stood aloof during this conversation, and was now about to follow his master. "Adieu, my pretty page," said Aubry; "but before you leave me do me a favor." "What is it?" "Who is this gallant nobleman to whom you have the honor to belong?" "He whom you've been talking with for the last fifteen minutes?" "The same." "And whom you call friend?" "Yes." "You don't know his name?" "No." "Why, he is--" "A very well known nobleman, is he not?" "To be sure." "And influential?" "Next to the king and the Duchesse d'Etampes, he's the man." "Ah! and his name you say is--" "He is the Vicomte de--But he is turning back and calling me. Pardon--" "The Vicomte de--" "The Vicomte de Marmagne." "Marmagne!" cried Aubry, "Vicomte de Marmagne! That young gentleman is the Vicomte de Marmagne!" "Himself." "Marmagne! the friend of the provost and D'Orbec and Madame d'Etampes?" "In person." "And the enemy of Benvenuto Cellini?" "Just so." "Ah!" exclaimed Aubry, to whom the whole past was revealed as by a flash of lightning. "Ah! I understand now. O Marmagne, Marmagne!" As the student was unarmed, with a movement as swift as thought, he seized the page's short sword by the hilt, drew it from its sheath, and darted in pursuit of Marmagne, shouting, "Halt!" At his first shout, Marmagne, decidedly ill at ease, looked around, and, seeing Aubry rushing after him sword in hand, suspected that he was discovered. To stand his ground or fly was therefore the only alternative. Marmagne was not quite courageous enough to stand his ground, nor was he quite enough of a coward to fly; he therefore adopted the intermediate course of darting into a house, the door of which stood open, hoping to close the door behind him. But unluckily for him it was held fast to the wall by a chain which he could not detach, so that Aubry, who was some little distance behind him, was in the little courtyard before he had time to reach the staircase. "Ah! Marmagne! you damned viscount! you infernal spy! you filcher of secrets! it's you, is it? At last I know you, and have my hand on you! On guard, villain! on guard!" "Monsieur," replied Marmagne, trying to assume a lordly bearing, "do you imagine that the Vicomte de Marmagne will honor the student Jacques Aubry by crossing swords with him?"