He has been closeted with Anne and Mercier.

And there has been some talk--of a box or a bottle." "Were they in my room ?" Basterga asked, his brow contracting.
"No, downstairs." "Did they get--the box or the bottle ?" There was a dangerous note in Basterga's voice; and a look in his eyes that scared the lad.
Louis, as his instinct was, lied again, fleeing the more pressing peril.
"Not to my knowledge," he said.
"And you ?" The scholar eyed him with bland suavity.

"You had nothing to do--with all this, I suppose ?" "I listened.

I was in my room, but they thought I was out.

When I went," the liar continued, "they discovered me; and Messer Blondel followed me and overtook me on the bridge and threatened--that he would have me arrested if I were not silent." "You refused to be silent, of course ?" But Louis was too acute to be caught in a trap so patent.