To our surprise, Sir Richard Pendragon disbursed the sum necessary to this magnificence, for his winnings of the previous night had been considerable. Besides, as he declared, it was due to our mistress “that the plenipotentiary-extraordinaire of the young queen’s majesty should appear at Paris like a man of condition, and that the retinue by whom he was accompanied should appear in the same guise, because they had worldly minds at the French court, and it would be easier to conduct state business if they went upon terms of familiarity with the current mode.” To this piece of wisdom the Count of Nullepart assented laughingly. And when our leader came to put on his baldrick this mirth bubbled up to a point, for Sir Richard Pendragon was fain to add to it a pair of new shoes with large silver buckles and a handsome collar of lace. I confess that in this I approved of the Englishman’s conduct. And I think we both felt the Count of Nullepart’s laughter to be somewhat ill judged and out of place. Because in a city like Paris, which in the light of day is not unpleasing, and among such a people as the French, whom travellers allow to have a savour of the civilized arts, we deemed that a certain richness among men of birth was not only expedient but necessary. Therefore I put on my new baldrick trimmed with ermine, also my new shoes with silver buckles and my fine collar of lace which also had been given to us. And let me tell you, reader, that never in my life have I felt myself to be attired more worthily, a little the plain side of splendour. Even then I felt that I did not compare with the leader of our embassy, who, as he said, “to remove any lingering traces of the provinces,” added to the bedizenments of his person a number of jewels which his good fortune of the previous night enabled him to obtain; and, further, as a crown to the whole, a sort of jewelled cockado that is worn by the potentates of Eastern climes. To obtain a field for the display of our magnificence, of which I believe the three of us were proudly and justly conscious, we proceeded slowly, arm-in-arm, down the centre of the streets of Paris; and of almost every second person that passed us Sir Richard Pendragon inquired in a haughty voice of the way to the palace of the King of France. I suppose it was our high and martial looks in company of our resplendent attire--I may say that Sir Richard Pendragon had chosen scarlet for the colour of our baldricks, that they might contrast elegantly with the bright yellow of his own--that soon began to attract the notice of the Parisians. Ere long a number of these curious persons were following in our wake. By the time we had traversed the length of two streets something of a crowd had collected upon our heels; and this circumstance appeared to afford Sir Richard Pendragon a great deal of pleasure.