To please him the victims had to bow-wow and growl like curs ere this polite and pleasant gentleman would allow them to rise from their degraded position. On this particular Christmas Eve Sir Hugonin had a proposal to make. He suggested that, in order to continue the festivities, a mock marriage should be celebrated between a gentleman and a lady of the court. The proposal was accepted with shouts of joy. A young couple were chosen to stand up before a pretended priest, and to go through the form of the wedding service. Just as the ceremony was nearing its end Sir Hugonin asked the king and four of his courtiers,--madcaps all of them and all of them members of the proudest families in France,--to withdraw with him for a moment. He had a fresh proposal to make. It happened that at this time all Paris had gone wild over the dancing bears brought into the capital by strolling performers. Hugonin’s plan was that he and the king, and the four courtiers, should disguise themselves as dancing bears. A pot of tar and a quantity of tow were ready at hand to transform them into fair imitations of the bears in the players’ booths. Then the five courtiers were to be bound together with a silk rope. The king himself would lead them into the hall. “Excellent!” cried the king and all the courtiers, save only Sir Evan de Foix. Sir Evan seems to have been the one man of the party who had preserved a glimmer of common sense. He pointed out that they were about to rush into a room full of lights. Being all bound together, no one could say what disaster might not befall. “Sire,” he pleaded, “it is certain that if one of us catches fire, the whole number, including your Majesty, will be as so many roast chestnuts.” Then up spoke the reckless Sir Hugonin. “Who is to set us on fire?” he asked. “Where is there the traitor that would not be careful when the safety of the king is at stake?” Sir Evan’s fears could not be set at rest. But when he found that the counsels of Sir Hugonin were bound to prevail he suggested that at least all due precautions should be taken. “Let His Majesty be prevailed upon at least to give orders that nobody bearing a torch shall approach us.” “That shall be done at once,” said Charles. Instantly sending for the chief officer in charge of the hall he gave instructions that all the torchbearers should be collected together on one side of the room, and that under no pretence should any of them approach a party of savage men who were about to enter and perform a dance. These orders having been given the dancers entered. They were greeted with a roar of laughter and cheers. The mimic bears followed their leader around the hall saluting the ladies as they passed them, and leaping and dancing for the amusement of the crowd. “Who are they?” cried the spectators, eager to penetrate the disguise.