All day long one or another of the conspirators sought him, each dropping some poisoned suggestion in his ear, calculated to arouse his anger and cast doubt upon the honorable intentions of Maugis and his brothers. There was not wanting insinuations that Maugis was a minion of Satan, and that the very existence of so powerful a sorcerer was not only a threat to the life and well-being of the emperor, but to the very kingdom itself. “He should be promptly and utterly destroyed,” declared Ganelon. “Sire,” added Pinabel persuasively, “admitting the truth, is, that these fears are due to our personal devotion to you, which lead us to suggest them, and supposing even that our anticipations are due to an ardent zeal, surely the pardon you propose to grant the sons of Aymon would establish a bad precedent. Who knows?” “They have not feared to be false to their oath to their prince; they have revolted and openly made war on you; can any one sustain the example of the sons of Aymon? Each one invites your pardon only to serve his own ends. You will, of course, sire, do what seemeth best in your great wisdom; but even if thou dost pardon the four sons of Aymon, one of them should be given up to thee for punishment.” If Charlemagne, thus persuaded by the conspirators, had discussed this advice in the presence of all, there can be no doubt the result of these negotiations for peace would have been far different from that which followed. The next day the emperor, when everybody was assembled, the peers and all the courtiers and the four brothers, declared to the sons of Aymon that he had decided to pardon them. “I have one proviso,” said the emperor firmly, “that is, after thou hast fulfilled thy promises, thou shall deliver thy Cousin Renaud into my hands to be punished as an example. This is my final decision, and nought shall change it.” “Ah, well, sire,” cried Maugis sadly; “if this is all that thou wilt yield there can be no more said. I regret only that our humble prayers for thy pardon have not prevailed. We never would deliver Renaud to you, because our honor is opposed to it, and because there never was yet an Aymon who would purchase peace at the price of infamy and cowardice.” Maugis and his brothers, then saluting the emperor with the most profound respect, withdrew. Charlemagne, now giving himself up entirely to his vindictive feelings, his rage for vengeance now paramount, summoned his council of state and outlined the course he had decided to follow; he ordered preparations to be made immediately for a general assault. The troops were to be assembled completely armed, under the walls of Montaubon, and the machines of war for hurling stones, catapaults and battering rams, were to be at once transported thither. Maugis, on his part, knowing what was coming, was not inactive; he placed his soldiers behind the ramparts to the best advantage to resist attack.