They are lodged at the Lys de France." An oath was the only comment I made as I turned the news over in my mind.

I must return to Canaples.
Then another thought occurred to me.

The Chevalier was capable of going to extremes to keep me from entering his house; he might for instance greet me with a blunderbuss.

It was not the fear of that that deterred me, but the fear that did a charge of lead get mixed with my poor brains before I had said what I went to say, matters would be no better, and there would be one poor knave the less to adorn the world.
"What shall we do, Michelot ?" I groaned, appealing in my despair to my henchman.
"Might it not be well to seek speech with M.de Montresor ?" quoth he.
I shrugged my shoulders.

Nevertheless, after a moment's deliberation I determined to make the attempt; if I succeeded something might come of it.
And so I pushed on to Blois with my knaves close at my heels.
Up the Rue Vieille we proceeded with caution, for the hostelry of the Vigne d'Or, where Michelot had hired me a room, fortunately overlooking the street, fronted the Lys de France, where St.Auban and his men were housed.
I gained that room of mine without mishap, and my first action was to deal summarily with a fat and well-roasted capon which the landlord set before me--for an empty stomach is a poor comrade in a desperate situation.