Evening star., 1898-12-31
CHAPTER XIII.
MaIise Fetches n CIOut.

The four men whom the Messire GILES
did not see standing in the doorway Op-
poste the Hotel de Pornic were attired in
the habit of pilgrims to the shrine of St.
James of Compostela. Upon their heads
they wore broad corded hats of brown.
Long brown robes covered them from head
to foot Their heads were tonsured, and as
they went along they fumbled at their beads
and gave their benediction to the people
that passed by whether they returned them
an aims or not. This they did by spreading
abroad the fingers of both hands and inclin-
ing their heads. at the same time muttering
to themselves in a tongue which, if not
Latin was at least unknown to the good
folk of Paris.
ut is the house" said the tallest of the
four. Stand well back within the shade!'
NAY, Sholto, what need?' grumbled an
other, very thickset palmer he. 'If the
maids be within let us burst the gates and
go and take them out!''
BE silent, Malise," put in the third pill
grim, whose dress of richer stuff than that
of his companions added to an air of nat
ural command betrayed the man of SUI
perior rank, remember, great jOlterhead
that we are not at the gates of Edinburgh
with all the south country at our backs"
The fourth a slender youth and fresh of
countenance, stood somewhat behind the
first three, without speaking, with an air of
profound meditation and abstra ction.
1t is not difficult to identify three out of
the four. Shoto's quest for his sweetheart
was thing fixed and settled. That his ia
ther and his brother Laurence should ac-
company him was also to be expected But
the other one, more richly attired was
somewhat less easy to be certified He 1t
was who spoke French with idiomatic use
and easy accentuatfon of a native, albeit of
those central provinces which had longest
owned the sway of the King of France. The
brothers Mackim also spoke the language
of the country after a fashion. For many
Frenchmen had come over from Galloway
in the trains of the first two dukes of
Touraine, so that the Gallo speech was a
common accomplishment among the youths
who sighed to adventure where so many
poor Scots had won fortune, in the armies
of the kings of France.
Paris was Paris in the reign of Charles
VII. Indeed Paris cannot be other than
f'arls. Her populace, gay, tickle, brave,
had just cast off the yoke of the English,
and were now venting their freedom from
stern Saxon policing according to their own
fashion. Not the King of France, but the
lord of misrule, held the scepter in the
capital of the merry kingdom.
1t was not long, therefore, before a band
of roysterers swung round a corner arm in
arm, taking the whole breadth of the mar
row causeway with them. 1t CHANGED that
their leader espied the four Scots standing
In the wide doorway of the house opposite
the Hotel de Pornic.
Hey, game Lads he cried, in that roy
STEERING Shrek which then passed for dash
Ing harGihood among the youth of Paris,
here be some holy men, pilgrims to the
shrine of good st. Denis, warrant 1, too
am clerk of a sort, for Henriet tonsuretl
me on Wednesday s'enight. Let us see If
these men of good works carry any of the
deceitful vanities of earth about with them
In their purses. Sometimes these are not
i'll lined!'
The youths accepted the proposal of their
leader with alacrity
Let US have the blessing Of the holy
palmers. they cried, land eke the con-
tents of their pockets"
So, with gay shout. and In an evil hour