“Did you recognize it?”

“Not that one in particular; all our daggers are alike.”

“Well,” said Roland, “I will tell you whence it came.”

“Ah! where was that?”

“From the breast of a friend of mine, where your Companions, possibly you yourself, thrust it.”

“Possibly,” replied the young man carelessly. “But your friend must have exposed himself to punishment.”

“My friend wished to see what was happening at night in the Chartreuse.”

“He did wrong.”

“But I did the same wrong the night before, and nothing happened to me.”

“Probably because some talisman protects you.”