The king has no better subject, and Paris no more
peaceable burgess than Casin Cholet."
As he spoke he waved Casin Cholet a warm salutation, and Cholet
responded to his praises with a friendly grin and yet more friendly
words:
"If I have any poor merits, I owe them all to this good gentleman's
example. I have followed his lead, halting and humble. 'Keep your
eye on Colin de Cayeulx,' I have ever said to myself, 'and learn how
a good man lives.'"
The two men leered at each other across Villon, hoping that their
praises of each other might have due effect upon the great lord who
seemed so condescending to them. Villon smiled.
"You are the Castor and Pollux of purity? Do you remember the night
of last Shrove Tuesday and the girl you carried off to Fat Margot's
and held to ransom?"
The effect of his words upon the two men was startling. The ugly
episode loomed up in their memories and they shivered to find it
known. In a second the simulated friendship of bandit for bandit
vanished and the two men glared at each other with the ferocity of
fighting dogs as they hurled accusation and denial at each other:
"That was Colin's adventure!"
"That was Casin's enterprise!"
"I deplored it.
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