After examining everything, the king sent for Tristan, and ordered him
to post several of his men for the night, and with the greatest
secrecy, in the mulberry trees on the embankment and on the roofs of
the adjoining houses, and to assemble at once the rest of his men and
escort him back to Plessis, so as to give the idea in the town that he
himself would not sup with Cornelius. Next, he told the miser to close
his windows with the utmost care, that no single ray of light should
escape from the house, and then he departed with much pomp for Plessis
along the embankment; but there he secretly left his escort, and
returned by a door in the ramparts to the house of the torconnier. All
these precautions were so well taken that the people of Tours really
thought the king had returned to Plessis, and would sup on the morrow
with Cornelius.

Towards eight o'clock that evening, as the king was supping with his
physician, Cornelius, and the captain of his guard, and holding much
jovial converse, forgetting for the time being that he was ill and in
danger of death, the deepest silence reigned without, and all passers,
even the wariest robber, would have believed that the Malemaison was
occupied as usual.

"I hope," said the king, laughing, "that my silversmith shall be
robbed to-night, so that my curiosity may be satisfied. Therefore,
messieurs, no one is to leave his chamber to-morrow morning without my
order, under pain of grievous punishment."

Thereupon, all went to bed. The next morning, Louis XI. was the first
to leave his apartment, and he went at once to the door of the
strong-room. He was not a little astonished to see, as he went along,