"To the inn!" Hector cried to his men, "leave the matter to the
watch."

And sheathing their weapons they ran on to the door of the hotel
and obtained entry there before the watch came up. As soon as they
had passed Hector said, "Come with me, Paolo, and see the cardinal;
there is no fear of any renewal of the attack now.

"Do you know who it was I wounded, Paolo?" he asked as they hurried
along.

"No, master, I was too busy myself to look round."

"It was Beaufort himself; I ran him through, low down in the
shoulder."

Paolo uttered an exclamation of dismay.

"It cannot be helped now," Hector went on, "but there will be no
living in Paris or even in France after this!"

Mazarin had not retired to bed when they reached his hotel.

"What now, monsieur?" he asked.

"We have had our second battle, your eminence, and it has been a
serious one. We were attacked by five-and-twenty ruffians; we slew
some ten of them. Then their leader, who had been keeping in the
rear shouting to them, seeing that his men were not likely to
get the best of us, pushed through them and himself attacked me.