“ The pillory leads to the gallows.”
“ The gallows is a balance which has a man at one end and the whole earth at the other. ’Tis fine to be the man.”
“ The gallows leads to hell.”
“’ Tis a big fire.”
“ Jehan, Jehan, the end will be bad.”
“ The beginning will have been good.”
At that moment, the sound of a footstep was heard on the staircase.
“ Silence!” said the archdeacon, laying his finger on his mouth, “here is Master Jacques. Listen, Jehan,” he added, in a low voice; “have a care never to speak of what you shall have seen or heard here. Hide yourself quickly under the furnace, and do not breathe.”
The scholar concealed himself; just then a happy idea occurred to him.
“ By the way, Brother Claude, a form for not breathing.”
“ Silence! I promise.”
“ You must give it
