De Wardes was in the interior of the Hotel de Ville, engaging in attending to the execution of some orders by De Guiche.

At the noise made by Buckingham, Manicamp, who was indolently reclining upon the cushions at the doorway of one of the tents, rose with his usual indifference, and, perceiving that the disturbance continued, made his appearance from underneath the curtains.

"What is the matter ?" he said, in a gentle tone of voice, "and who is making this disturbance ?" It so happened, that, at the moment he began to speak, silence had just been restored, and, although his voice was very soft and gentle in its touch, every one heard his question.

Buckingham turned round, and looked at the tall thin figure, and the listless expression of countenance of his questioner.

Probably the personal appearance of Manicamp, who was dressed very plainly, did not inspire him with much respect, for he replied disdainfully, "Who may you be, monsieur ?" Manicamp, leaning on the arm of a gigantic trooper, as firm as the pillar of a cathedral, replied in his usual tranquil tone of voice,--"And _you_, monsieur ?" "I, monsieur, am the Duke of Buckingham; I have hired all the houses which surround the Hotel de Ville, where I have business to transact; and as these houses are let, they belong to me, and, as I hired them in order to preserve the right of free access to the Hotel de Ville, you are not justified in preventing me passing to it." "But who prevents you passing, monsieur ?" inquired Manicamp.
"Your sentinels." "Because you wish to pass on horseback, and orders have been given to let only persons on foot pass." "No one has any right to give orders here, except myself," said Buckingham.
"On what grounds ?" inquired Manicamp, with his soft tone.