But now, as he had said, he
had learned a thing called honour; the whole meaning of life had
been changed for him in the sunshine of a fair girl's favour, and
what was but yesterday possible, probable, even pleasant, was to-day
surely impossible. He murmured her name to himself--"Katherine!"--as
a charm against horrible temptation, and his heart strengthened
under the spell.
He turned to enter the tower, but as he did so the tower door was
pushed out against him and he found himself face to face with Noel
le Jolys. Noel started in astonishment at the sight of his rival,
but Villon caught him by the wrist. The poor popinjay was too brave
a bird to be Thibaut d'Aussigny's decoy-duck.
"Messire Noel," he said; "I have a word to say; in your ear," and he
drew him inside the tower and stood with him for a moment in the
darkness, whispering speech that made Noel's pulse beat fast. Then
Villon left him and sped swiftly up the winding stairs that led to
the king's room, while Noel, left alone, pushed open the door again
and passed out into the garden, his head dizzy with strange news.
Placing his hands like a shell about his mouth, he gave the cry of
an owl three times with a little interval between each cry, and then
softly withdrew again into the tower, and in his turn raced with a
throbbing heart up the narrow steps that led to the king's chamber.
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