"Monseigneur," said his valet, "there is a man asking leave to speak to you." "Let him go to the devil!" retorted the constable. "I am in fine condition to receive visitors! Send him to Monsieur de Guise." "Monseigneur, this man begged me to tell you his name, which he says is Arnauld du Thill." "Arnauld du Thill!" exclaimed the constable, "that's a different matter. Show him in." The valet bowed and withdrew. "This fellow Arnauld," the constable reflected, "is clever, cunning, and avaricious,--more than that, he has no scruples and conscience. Oh, if he could only help me to be revenged on all these people! To be revenged, do I say? But what should I gain by that? He might possibly help me to make my way back into favor! He knows many things. It has already occurred to me to make use of my knowledge of this Montgommery affair; but it would be much better if I might learn something from Arnauld which would enable me to dispense with doing that." At this moment Arnauld du Thill was ushered into the room. Joy and impudence were struggling for the mastery in the rascal's expression. He bowed to the ground before the constable. "I thought you were a prisoner," said Montmorency. "So I was, Monseigneur, just as you were." "But you seem to have got out of the difficulty," rejoined the constable. "Yes, Monseigneur; I paid them in my money,--that is to say, I laughed at them instead. You used your money and I used my wits; and here we are both at liberty." "Ah, you are an impudent scoundrel," said the constable. "No, Monseigneur," rejoined Arnauld, "it was just my modest way of saying that I am out of money, that's all." "Hum!" grumbled Montmorency; "what do you want of me?" "Money, since I have none, Monseigneur." "And why should I give you money?" "Why, to pay me, Monseigneur," replied the spy. "Pay you for what, pray?" "For the intelligence I bring you." "Tell me your news." "Let me see your crowns." "Villain! suppose I were to have you hanged?" "A most contemptible way that of loosening my tongue, Monseigneur, to stretch my neck." "He is so very audacious," thought the constable, "that he must know that I can't do without him." "Well, fellow," he said, aloud, "I have no objection to making some slight further advance to you." "Monseigneur is very kind," said Arnauld; "and I will not fail to remind him of his generous promise when he has settled up his outstanding debt to me." "What debt?" asked the constable. "Here is my account, Monseigneur," said Arnauld, producing the famous document which we have seen him at work on so often. Anne de Montmorency cast his eyes over it. "Yes," said he, "this paper contains, besides services which are entirely fanciful and imaginary, others which might have been very useful to me at the time when you rendered them, considering my situation at that time, but which at present serve no purpose except to make my regrets all the more poignant."