Katherine, standing, leaned over the balustrade and flung a knot of ribbon to her champion, who caught it as it skimmed through the air, pressed it to his lips and thrust it into the bosom of his jerkin. In another moment Katherine had disappeared and Villon found himself roughly held in the strong grasp of two soldiers, while the captain of the watch surveyed the scene with some astonishment, and the rogues were overawed by the bills of the new-comers. "What is this tumult?" the captain demanded. Villon answered him airily, smiling over the crossed pikes that penned him. "A fair fight, good captain, conducted according to the honourable laws of sword and lantern." The captain of the watch turned his attention to Thibaut, who, assisted by one of the soldiers, had raised himself upon one elbow and was glaring vindictively at Villon. "Who is this man?" he asked. A desire for revenge got the better of the wounded man's discretion. "I am Thibaut d'Aussigny," he gasped. "I am the Grand Constable." A little shiver of surprise and alarm ran round the room at the sound of that dreaded name. The captain of the watch kneeled in salutation. "Monseigneur," he said, "how did this happen?" Thibaut's senses were running away from him with his running blood, but malignity overcrowed weakness for a moment. He pointed at Villon. "Take that fellow and hang him on the nearest lantern," and as he spoke he swooned. Promptly the captain turned towards his prisoner. "Take that fellow outside and hang him," he commanded curtly. Villon glanced wildly about for a way to escape and saw none. His friends gave a groan of sympathy, but they could do no more, for the soldiers overawed them. Huguette flung her arms about him, sobbing. The grasp of his captors tightened and Villon shivered at the clasp. Suddenly the little insignificant burgess at the table rose and advanced towards the soldier. "Stop, sir," he said imperatively. "That young gentleman is my affair." The soldier turned angrily upon the interfering citizen. "Who are you," he growled, "who dare to interfere with the king's justice?" The citizen pulled his heavy cap from his head and revealed the wrinkled, eager visage that was so well known and so well feared. "I am the king's justice," he said simply, while Tristan behind him cried "God save the king!" and the astonished soldier bent the knee in homage. Villon, staring, dumfounded, caught the humour of the situation and could not hold his tongue. "The king! Good Lord!" he said, and punctuated his comment with a prolonged whistle. CHAPTER V THE VOICES OF THE STARS