"But your fear of Mayenne is not serious?"
"Very serious, on the contrary. You understand that M. de Mayenne gave me fifty blows with a stirrup leather, in return for which I gave him one hundred with the sheath of my sword. No doubt he thinks, therefore, that he still owes me fifty, so that I should not have come to you now, however great your need, had I not known him to be at Soissons."
"Well, Chicot, I take you now under my protection, and I wish that you should be resuscitated and appear openly."
"What folly!"
"I will protect you, on my royal word."
"Bah! I have better than that."
"What?"
"My hole, where I remain."
"I forbid it," cried the king, jumping out of bed.
"Henri, you will catch cold; go back to bed, I pray."