But could he reconcile it to his dignity as a gentleman, to accept the money of this wealthy plebeian ?--This was a trying question; for, though he had secured a good breakfast, it was no great reserve upon which to travel either back to Dijon, in case he chose to hazard the wrath and enter the service of the Duke of Burgundy, or to Saint Quentin, if he fixed on that of the Constable Saint Paul; for to one of those powers, if not to the king of France, he was determined to offer his services.

He perhaps took the wisest resolution in the circumstances, in resolving to be guided by the advice of his uncle; and, in the meantime, he put the money into his velvet hawking pouch, and called for the landlord of the house, in order to restore the silver cup--resolving, at the same time, to ask him some questions about this liberal and authoritative merchant.
The man of the house appeared presently; and, if not more communicative, was at least more loquacious, than he had been formerly.

He positively declined to take back the silver cup.

It was none of his, he said, but Maitre Pierre's, who had bestowed it on his guest.

He had, indeed, four silver hanaps of his own, which had been left him by his grandmother, of happy memory, but no more like the beautiful carving of that in his guest's hand, than a peach was like a turnip--that was one of the famous cups of Tours, wrought by Martin Dominique, an artist who might brag all Paris.
"And, pray, who is this Maitre Pierre," said Durward, interrupting him, "who confers such valuable gifts on strangers ?" "Who is Maitre Pierre ?" said the host, dropping the words as slowly from his mouth as if he had been distilling them.
"Ay," said Durward, hastily and peremptorily, "who is this Maitre Pierre, and why does he throw about his bounties in this fashion?
And who is the butcherly looking fellow whom he sent forward to order breakfast ?" "Why, fair sir, as to who Maitre Pierre is, you should have asked the question of himself; and for the gentleman who ordered breakfast to be made ready, may God keep us from his closer acquaintance!" "There is something mysterious in all this," said the young Scot.