"Chram, he is a strolling mountebank with his animals. I thought it would amuse you at the close of the banquet, and I ordered him to be brought in." The news of the proposed entertainment was joyfully received by all the Franks, and made them forget their recent quarrel and hard feelings. Some stood up, others rose on their haunches in order to be the first to see the man, his monkey, and his bear. When Karadeucq appeared, loud roars of laughter shook the walls of the hall. It was not that the aspect of the old Vagre was amusing, but nothing could be imagined more grotesque than the appearance of the lover of the bishopess under the bear's skin. He stepped forward heavily, clad in the jacket with its hood thrown back and seemed dazed by the light of the torches, although all the thirty or forty of them cast but a flickering and subdued light over the vast hall. Thanks to this rather dim and unsteady light, and also to the wide jacket that half enveloped the Vagre, his ursine appearance was perfect. Moreover, in order to keep the curious at a distance, Karadeucq pulled in the chain to which the animal was attached and cried: "Seigneurs, do not come too near the teeth of the bear, he is often sullen and ferocious." "Mountebank, keep close watch on your beast; should he unfortunately hurt anybody in this hall, I shall have him cut to pieces, and you will receive for your share fifty lashes on your back!" "Seigneur count, have pity on me, poor old man that I am; I only have my animals to earn my bread with--I have requested your noble and very noble guests not to approach my bear too closely, in order to prevent any unfortunate accident." "Step forward; I wish to have a closer view of your jolly companion; he will not, I presume, dare to paw me, the son of King Clotaire." "Oh, very glorious Prince! these poor brutes are deprived of intelligence and cannot distinguish between the great seigneurs of the world and the humble slaves." "Step forward, step forward--a little closer." "Very glorious King, look out--it will be less dangerous to be close to the monkey--I can let him out of his cage." "Oh, monkeys, I am not very curious to see those wicked animals. I have pages, plenty of them. Ha, ha, ha--look at the droll fellow with his jacket. Look, Imnachair, how clumsily he carries himself--how he grunts--for all the world he looks like the Lion of Poitiers in his morning gown, after spending a night with women and wine." "What else should I do, Chram! I consider lost every night that I do not put to use in your style with wine and women." "Lion, you are unjust--I have become temperate and chaste." "Through exhaustion--O, chaste and sober Prince--did you renounce the pure girls and good wine!" "If so, you should rather pity than blame me. Ho, there, mountebank, what tricks can your bear perform? Is he clever?"