With that Benvenuto paused, and waited; but not a sound came from behind the walls. He thereupon loaded his arquebus, and ordered his men to make ready their weapons; then, assembling the leaders Hermann, Ascanio, and Jehan in council, he said to them:-- "You see, my children, that it is not possible to avoid the conflict. Now it is for us to decide in what way we shall begin the attack." "I will break in the door," said Hermann, "and do you follow me in; that's all." "With what will you do it, my Samson?" queried Cellini. Hermann looked about and saw on the quay a piece of timber which four ordinary men would have found it difficult to lift. "With that beam," he said. He walked to where it lay, coolly picked it up, placed it under his arm, and fixed it there like a rain in its socket, then returned to his general. Meanwhile a crowd was beginning to collect, and Benvenuto, excited thereby, was on the point of giving orders for the attack to begin, when the captain of the king's archers, notified doubtless by some conservative citizen, appeared at the corner of the street, accompanied by five or six mounted men. This captain was a friend of the provost, and although he knew perfectly well what was toward, he rode up to Benvenuto, hoping to intimidate him doubtless, and while his people checked Hermann's advance, he said:-- "What is your desire, and why do you thus disturb the peace of the city?" "The man who really disturbs the peace," replied Cellini, "is he who refuses to obey the king's orders, not he who executes them." "What do you mean?" inquired the captain. "I mean that I hold a deed in due form, delivered to me by Messire de Neufville, secretary of the royal treasury, wherein his Majesty grants to me the Hôtel du Grand-Nesle. But the people who are in possession refuse to recognize this deed, and thereby keep me from my own. Now in one way or another, I have got it into my head that, since Scripture says that we must render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, Benvenuto Cellini is entitled to take what belongs to Benvenuto Cellini." "Yes! and instead of preventing us from taking possession of our property, you ought to lend us a hand," cried Pagolo. "Be silent, rascal," said Benvenuto, stamping angrily; "I have no need of anybody's assistance. Dost thou understand?" "You are right in theory, but wrong in practice," rejoined the captain. "How may that be?" demanded Benvenuto, who felt that the blood was beginning to rise in his cheeks. "You are right to wish to enter into possession of your property, but you are wrong to undertake to do it in this way; for you will not gain much, I promise you, fighting walls with your swords. If I were to give you a little friendly advice, it would be to apply to the officers of justice, and carry your grievance to the Provost of Paris, for example. With that, adieu, and good luck to you!"