Almost immediately after this eclaircissernent (explanation) was completed, the progress of the multitude brought them opposite to the door of Pavillon's house, in one of the principal streets, but which communicated from behind with the Maes by means of a garden, as well as an extensive manufactory of tan pits, and other conveniences for dressing hides, for the patriotic burgher was a felt dresser or currier.
It was natural that Pavillon should desire to do the honours of his dwelling to the supposed envoy of Louis, and a halt before his house excited no surprise on the part of the multitude, who, on the contrary, greeted Meinheer Pavillon with a loud vivat (long live), as he ushered in his distinguished guest. Quentin speedily laid aside his remarkable bonnet for the cap of a felt maker, and flung a cloak over his other apparel. Pavillon then furnished him with a passport to pass the gates of the city, and to return by night or day as should suit his convenience, and lastly, committed him to the charge of his daughter, a fair and smiling Flemish lass, with instructions how he was to be disposed of, while he himself hastened back to his colleague to amuse their friends at the Stadthouse with the best excuses which they could invent for the disappearance of King Louis's envoy. We cannot, as the footman says in the play, recollect the exact nature of the lie which the bell wethers told the flock, but no task is so easy as that of imposing upon a multitude whose eager prejudices have more than half done the business ere the impostor has spoken a word.
The worthy burgess was no sooner gone than his plump daughter, Trudchen, with many a blush, and many a wreathed smile, which suited very prettily with lips like cherries, laughing blue eyes, and a skin transparently pure -- escorted the handsome stranger through the pleached alleys of the Sieur Pavillon's garden, down to the water side, and there saw him fairly embarked in a boat, which two stout Flemings, in their trunk hose, fur caps, and many buttoned jerkins, had got in readiness with as much haste as their low country nature would permit.
As the pretty Trudchen spoke nothing but German, Quentin -- no disparagement to his loyal affection to the Countess of Croye -- could only express his thanks by a kiss on those same cherry lips, which was very gallantly bestowed, and accepted with all modest gratitude, for gallants with a form and face like our Scottish Archer were not of everyday occurrence among the bourgeoisie of Liege (the French middle class. The term has come to mean the middle class of any country, especially those engaged in trade).
(The adventure of Quentin at Liege may be thought overstrained, yet it is extraordinary what slight circumstances will influence the public mind in a moment of doubt and uncertainty. Most readers must remember that, when the Dutch were on the point of rising against the French yoke, their zeal for liberation received a strong impulse from the landing of a person in a British volunteer uniform, whose presence, though that of a private individual, was received as a guarantee of succours from England. S.)
While the boat was rowed up the sluggish waters of the Maes, and passed the defences of the town, Quentin had time enough to reflect what account he ought to give of his adventure in Liege, when he returned to the Bishop's palace of Schonwaldt, and disdaining alike to betray any person who had reposed confidence in him, although by misapprehension, or to conceal from the hospitable Prelate the mutinous state of his capital, he resolved to confine himself to so general an account as might put the Bishop upon his guard, while it should point out no individual to his vengeance.
He was landed from the boat, within half a mile of the castle, and rewarded his rowers with a guilder, to their great satisfaction. Yet, short as was the space which divided him from Schonwaldt, the castle bell had tolled for dinner, and Quentin found, moreover, that he had approached the castle on a different side from that of the principal entrance, and that to go round would throw his arrival considerably later. He therefore made straight towards the side that was nearest to him, as he discerned that it presented an embattled wall, probably that of the little garden already noticed, with a postern opening upon the moat, and a skiff moored by the postern, which might serve, he thought, upon summons, to pass him over. As he approached, in hopes to make his entrance this way, the postern opened, a man came out, and, jumping into the boat, made his way to the farther side of the moat, and then, with a long pole, pushed the skiff back towards the place where he had embarked. As he came near, Quentin discerned that this person was the Bohemian, who, avoiding him, as was not difficult, held a different path towards Liege, and was presently out of his ken.
Here was a new subject for meditation. Had this vagabond heathen been all this while with the Ladies of Croye, and for what purpose should they so far have graced him with their presence? Tormented with this thought, Durward became doubly determined to seek an explanation with them, for the purpose at once of laying bare the treachery of Hayraddin, and announcing to them the perilous state in which their protector, the Bishop, was placed, by the mutinous state of his town of Liege.
As Quentin thus resolved, he entered the castle by the principal gate, and found that part of the family who assembled for dinner in the great hall, including the Bishop's attendant clergy, officers of the household, and strangers below the rank of the very first nobility, were already placed at their meal. A seat at the upper end of the board had, however, been reserved beside the Bishop's domestic chaplain, who welcomed the stranger with the old college jest of Sero venientibus ossa (the bones for those who come late), while he took care so to load his plate with dainties, as to take away all appearance of that tendency to reality, which, in Quentin's country, is said to render a joke either no joke, or at best an unpalatable one ("A sooth boord (true joke) is no boord," says the Scot. S.).
In vindicating himself from the suspicion of ill breeding, Quentin briefly described the tumult which had been occasioned in the city by his being discovered to belong to the Scottish Archer Guard of Louis, and endeavoured to give a ludicrous turn to the narrative by saying that he had been with difficulty extricated by a fat burgher of Liege and his pretty daughter.
But the company were too much interested in the story to taste the jest. All operations of the table were suspended while Quentin told his tale, and when he had ceased, there was a solemn pause, which was only broken by the Majordomo's saying in a low and melancholy tone, "I would to God that we saw those hundred lances of Burgundy!"
"Why should you think so deeply on it?" said Quentin. "You have many soldiers here, whose trade is arms, and your antagonists are only the rabble of a disorderly city, who will fly before the first flutter of a banner with men at arms arrayed beneath it."
"You do not know the men of Liege," said the Chaplain, "of whom it may be said, that, not even excepting those of Ghent, they are at once the fiercest and the most untameable in Europe. Twice has the Duke of Burgundy chastised them for their repeated revolts against their Bishop, and twice hath he suppressed them with much severity, abridged their privileges, taken away their banners, and established rights and claims to himself which were not before competent over a free city of the Empire. -- Nay, the last time he defeated them with much slaughter near Saint Tron, where Liege lost nearly six thousand men, what with the sword, what with those drowned in the flight, and thereafter, to disable them from farther mutiny, Duke Charles refused to enter at any of the gates which they had surrendered, but, beating to the ground forty cubits' breadth of their city wall, marched into Liege as a conqueror with visor closed, and lance in rest, at the head of his chivalry, by the breach which he had made. Nay, well were the Liegeois then assured, that, but for the intercession of his father, Duke Philip the Good, this Charles, then called Count of Charalois, would have given their town up to spoil. And yet, with all these fresh recollections, with their breaches unrepaired, and their arsenals scarcely supplied, the sight of an archer's bonnet is sufficient again to stir them to uproar. May God amend all! but I fear there will be bloody work between so fierce a population and so fiery a Sovereign, and I would my excellent and kind master had a see of lesser dignity and more safety, for his mitre is lined with thorns instead of ermine. This much I say to you, Seignior Stranger, to make you aware that, if your affairs detain you not at Schonwaldt, it is a place from which each man of sense should depart as speedily as possible. I apprehend that your ladies are of the same opinion, for one of the grooms who attended them on the route has been sent back by them to the Court of France with letters, which doubtless are intended to announce their going in search of a safer asylum."
善良的朋友，亲爱的朋友！
我不想煽动你们突然起来叛乱！
《儒略•凯撒》
昆丁离开了许多天当中像北斗星那样以其音容笑貌吸引着他的伊莎贝尔小姐，心中感到莫名的空虚与寒冷，这是在他一生经历过的许多变故当中从未体验过的一种感觉。在伯爵小姐获得了固定的栖身之所以后，他们之间原先那种不可避免的亲密接触自然告一段落。即使她考虑过要让昆丁这样一个年轻英俊的扈从来经常侍候她，她又能为这种难以启齿的事寻找什么借口呢？
然而，分离的痛苦并不因为它不可避免而好受一些。昆丁看到自己就像一个普通的马车夫，或完成了任务的护送人员被打发走时，他那高傲的自尊心不免受到伤害。与此同时，他的眼睛却为他在旅途中苦心建造的许多个空中楼阁的破灭而悄悄落下了一两滴怜惜的眼泪。他作出了一个勇敢的，但一开始就显得徒劳的尝试，来摆脱这种内心的沮丧情绪。在无法抑制的感情支配下，他在索恩瓦尔德的哥特式大厅里，躲在一个窗子的隐蔽处独自思忖，抱怨自己不幸的命运未能给他足够的地位和财富使他有勇气向小姐提出求婚。
昆丁打算写一封信派一个叫查尔勒特的随从送往路易的宫廷，好让国王知道两位克罗伊埃仕女已到达列日，借此驱散笼罩在心头的忧愁。这时他忽然看见他旁边的窗子上摆着一首刚在斯特拉斯堡印好的古老爱情诗，标题很吸引人，使他那天生的活泼性格不觉又回复过来。那标题写的是：
地位卑下的扈从
热恋匈牙利的公主
昆丁正仔细地读着这首小诗，感到它所写的内容很能与自己的处境产生共鸣。这时忽然有人用手触触他的肩头，打断了他的阅读。他抬起头一看，原来是那个波希米亚人站在他的身边。
海拉丁的样子从不讨人喜欢，想起他最近的奸诈，昆丁更觉得这人可恶，便厉声责问他，何以如此放肆，竟敢随意用手触摸一个信奉基督的绅士？
“简单地说吧，’哪波希米亚人回答道，“我想看看这位信奉基督的绅士是否跟失去了眼睛和耳朵一样失去了感觉，我站在这儿和你讲了五分钟的话，而你却呆呆地望着那张黄纸片，仿佛它是一张能把你变成雕像的桃符。事实上它已经产生了一半的魔力。”
“你说你想干什么？说完就给我滚蛋！”
“我要世人都要的东西，尽管很少人会对此感到满足。”海拉丁说，“我要我的酬金，要我给两位仕女带路的那十个金币。”
“我饶了你的狗命，你还有脸再要报酬？”昆丁狠狠说道，“你心里明白，你原先是打算在路上出卖她们的。”
“但我并没有出卖她们，”海拉丁说，“要是我出卖了她们，我就不会向你，或向她们要报酬，而是向那坚持要她们走河右岸，能使其得到好处的人要报酬了。付给我报酬的应该是我效过劳的人。”
“你这个奸人，愿你拿着你的酬金得不到好死！”昆丁一边给钱一边说道，“见你的‘阿登内斯野猪’，见你的魔鬼去吧！从今以后你可别让我再见到你，否则我会让你提前进地狱的。”
“‘阿登内斯野猪！’”那波希米亚人以比他往常的面部表情所表现出的更为激动的心情说道，“这么说，并不是模糊的猜测，或一般的怀疑使得你坚持要改变路线的？难道真是——难道你们苏格兰人的占卜术真比我们这流浪部落的占卜术更可靠？我们说话时所在的那棵柳树又不能告密。不——不——嘿，我真是个傻瓜！我猜到了——我猜到了！离寺院不远的溪边的那颗柳树！距那雄蜂窝大约半英里。你走过时我见你望了它一眼——固然它不能告密，但它能掩藏别人偷听！以后我得在一个开阔的平地上开秘密会，决不让附近哪怕有个蓟树丛，好让一个苏格兰人藏在那里偷听。哈！哈！苏格兰人竟用吉卜赛人自己的法宝击败了吉卜赛人。不过，昆丁•达威特，你要知道，你挫败了我，结果也断送了你自己的好运——一点不错！要不是你自己顽固，我按你的手相给你算的命本会完全兑现。”
“圣安德鲁在上，”昆丁说道，“你的厚颜无耻可真叫我忍不住想哈哈大笑。假如你的罪恶得逞，怎么能对我有好处？又能有什么样的好处？我的确听到你提出要以免我一死作为条件，但只要我们一打起来，你那些尊敬的盟友很快就会把它忘得精光。天晓得，你出卖两位仕女的结果，除开使我被杀被俘以外，实在让我无法想象还能给我什么好处。”
“那就别想这个了吧！”海拉丁说道，“反正我还打算以你意想不到的方式向你报思。要是你不给我酬金，那我就会认为我们各不亏欠，让你去磨撞了。既然你给了我酬金，那么因为你在谢尔河岸上做的那件好事，我仍然欠你的债。”
“我想既然咒骂了你，侮辱了你，你的债也就算抵消了。”昆丁说道。
“好话和坏话都不过是空气，在天平上不占分量。”那吉卜赛人说道，“要是你真打了我，而不光是吓唬我——”
“要是你继续烦我、惹我，我很可能以这种方式来抵消你的欠债。”
“那我奉劝你别这样，”那吉卜赛人说道，“你那鲁莽的手这么一打，也许就超过了我欠的债，而不幸使你反倒负了债。再说，我这人是不会忘记或宽恕这种事的。得了，再见吧，不过为时不长——我是去向两位克罗伊埃仕女告别。”
“你？”昆丁吃惊地说道，“会让你去见那两位贵妇人？你要知道，在主教姐姐这位高贵的修女保护下，她们已颇像隐士了。这根本是不可能的事。”
“你瞧，玛尔松正等着领我去见她们哩。”那吉卜赛人带着嘲弄的表情说道，“请你原谅，我走得有点唐突。”
他转过身来像是要走的样子，但马上又转回来用一种深沉而严肃的口吻强调说：“我知道你向往的是什么——这种向往固然很大胆，但只要我帮忙，还不至于落空。我也知道你害怕的是什么——但害怕只应使你谨慎，而不应使你胆怯。任何女人都是可以得到手的。既然公爵这个绰号能使查尔斯受益，国王这个绰号能使路易受益，那么伯爵这个绰号又何尝不能使昆丁受益呢？”
达威特还来不及作出反应，那波希米亚人已经走出了大厅。昆丁马上追了上去。但海拉丁要比这苏格兰人更熟悉庭院的走道，所以继续保持他所获得的领先优势。当他走下后面一道楼梯时，追赶的人便看不见他的去向了。但达威特继续追了下去，也不大清楚自己这样做的目的。楼梯尽头是一道通往园中幽径的小门。那吉卜赛人沿着一条编织植物形成的小径匆忙走了下去。
花园两旁都是城堡大楼。这是一个巨大的古老建筑群，一部分修有城谍，一部分又像是教堂，另外两边则高耸着碉堡式的墙壁。海拉丁穿过花园的幽径来到大楼的另一边，在一堵长满常春藤的大斜墙后面掩蔽着的旁门口转过头来，对追逐者得意洋洋地挥手告别。昆丁看到这旁门实际上是玛尔松打开的。他自然认为那奸狡的波希米亚人被引进了两位克罗伊埃仕女的卧室。昆丁气得咬咬嘴唇，严厉地责怪自己没有让两位仕女了解海拉丁的可耻品质，并让她们知道他原想危害她们安全的阴谋。那波希米亚人答应成全他的爱情所表现出的狂妄态度更使他感到愤怒和厌恶。他认为要是真通过这样一个“思人”与伊莎贝尔小姐成婚，那简直是对这位小姐的污辱。“这肯定是个骗局，”他说道，“是他玩的鬼把戏。他一定是制造了某种借口，怀着不良的动机设法去见两位仕女的。幸好我知道了她们的住处。我将监视玛尔松，谋求和她们见一次面，哪怕能使她们提高警惕也好。要做到这点，我就不得不使用策略，而且要等待好些时候。然而，像他这种人却可以毫无顾忌地公开进去，想起来也真叫人难受。不过，她们将看到，尽管我不能接近她们，伊莎贝尔的安全仍然是我心上主要惦念的事。”
当这年轻的恋人正这么思量着的时候，主教的一位管家从他刚走进花园的那道门向他走了过来，十分有礼地告诉他，这是个专用花园，只供主教及其贵宾使用。
昆丁听他把这话重复了两次，才弄清了他的意思。他像从梦幻中清醒过来似的向他鞠了一躬，赶忙从花园里走了出去。那管家一路上跟着他，为他不得已执行命令一再表示正式道歉。他想达威特一定很生气，便执意要消除他的怨忿，自告奋勇与他做伴，帮他解闷。最后昆丁暗自咒骂起他那无聊的纠缠，但想不出更好的摆脱办法，只好借口要参观邻近的城市，加快步子往前走，致使那贵族管家走到吊桥便无心再作奉陪。过了几分钟昆丁便来到了列日城——当时弗兰德（自然也是整个世界）最富庶的一个城市。
忧伤，甚至失恋的忧伤，至少在富于弹性、具有大丈夫气概的男人心中，并不像遭受失恋之苦的多情种所想象的那样难以消解。感官所接受的强烈而新鲜的印象、环境的改变、激发新的意识之流的各种景象，以及人群的熙熙攘攘，都能使忧伤却步。过了几分钟，列日城繁华的街道上目不暇接的种种事物已完全吸引了昆丁的注意。他仿佛觉得，这世界根本就不曾有过伊莎贝尔小姐，也不曾有过那波希米亚人。
那高大的屋宇、雄伟狭窄而阴暗的街道，那在仓库和商店里陈列着的琳琅满目的商品、华丽的铠甲；那人行道上拥挤着的各行各业的忙碌的市民，带着小心、庄重或匆匆赶路的神情来来往往，川流不息；那运送出口商品和进口商品的大车；前者载的是宽幅布。斜纹布、各式兵器、钉子和铁器，后者装的是供这富裕的城市消费，或运往别处做生意的各种日用品和奢侈品——所有这些构成了昆丁从没见过的一种富裕繁华而又吸引人的场面。他同样赞赏从马埃斯河引来，只与其相通的数不清的溪流和运河；它们纵横交错地穿过城市，给各个地区提供水运之便。他还利用机会在那据说在公元八世纪就已建成的圣•兰伯特古教堂听了一次弥撒。
当昆丁离开教堂时他才开始注意到，他这个一直在以不加掩饰的好奇心急切地瞻望周围情景的人，本身也成了一群群富商模样的市民瞩目的对象。他们似乎是特意为了在他离开教堂时争睹他一眼而聚拢来的。他们当中响起一阵嗡嗡的低语声，并很快传播开去。与此同时，观望者的人数在迅速地不断增加。新来的人都把眼睛盯在昆丁身上，那凝望的眼神表现出很大的兴趣与好奇，还掺杂着某些敬意。
最后他竟成了一个巨大的人群的中心。但当他继续往前走时，人们都赶忙给他让路。那些跟在他后面或紧追着他走的人也都小心避免挤着他或妨碍他的行动。但这种处境实在太难受，必须设法摆脱，设法获得某种解释。
昆丁向四周扫了一眼，把目光停在一个快活健壮、样子很体面的男人身上。从他穿的天鹅绒披风和戴的金链看来，他断定这人准是个显要的市民，也许还是个知事。他问他：“你看我身上是不是有什么特别之处，引起了公众的注目？要么，是不是因为把偶然前来参观的陌生人围个水泄不通，正是列日市民通常的习俗？”
“大人，当然不是，”那市民回答说，“除了市民们十分欢迎和高兴见到、乐意尊敬的东西以外，列日人不会无聊好奇到染上这种习俗的地步，而您的服装和外表，也没有什么特别之处。”
“尊敬的先生，这话听来十分有礼，”昆丁说道，“不过凭圣安德鲁的十字说，我实在猜不出您是什么意思。”
“先生，您的咒语和您的口音使我深信我们没有猜错。”那商人说道。
“凭我的保护神圣昆丁赌咒！”达威特说道，“您的话弄得我更莫名其妙。”
“您瞧，又叫我们猜中了。”那列日人再次说道，表情之聪明和策略既惹人哭笑不得，又十分彬彬有礼，“当然我们不应当打听尊敬的大人认为适宜隐藏的东西。不过，您既然不愿我们捉摸您的来意，干吗要凭圣昆丁赌咒呢？我们知道，现在驻在此地的善良的圣保罗伯爵赞助我们的事业。”
“我以生命赌咒，”昆丁说道，“你们是搞错人了。我根本不知道什么圣保罗。”
“不错，我们相信您说的，”那市民说道，“不过，您听着——我说，您耳朵好好听着——我的大名是巴维翁”
“巴维翁大人，这与我有何相干？”昆丁说道。
“没有什么。不过我想这能使您相信我是可靠的——何况还有我这位同事鲁斯拉尔。”
鲁斯拉尔走上前来。他是一位老态龙钟的贵人。他那圆圆的大肚皮像个攻城锤似的“在人群中劈开一条道路”。他对着他旁边那位贵人的耳朵讲了点什么提醒他的话，然后以一种责备的口吻说道：“我的好同事，你忘了这地方是个公开场所——最好让这位大人到你家或我家歇歇，喝杯加糖的莱茵酒，然后请他更多地给我们讲讲我们诚实的弗兰德人全心爱戴的好盟友的情况吧。”
“我没有什么消息可告诉你们二位的，”昆丁不耐烦地说道，“我也不想喝什么莱茵酒。我只想求你们两位体面而尊敬的大人驱散这群无聊的围观者，好让一个外乡人既能悄悄地进入你们的城市，也能悄悄地离开你们的城市。”
“那好吧，”鲁斯拉尔说道，“先生既然对我们这种可靠的人也要隐瞒身份，那么恕我直言，既然您不想惊动列日市民，您干吗要佩戴你们卫队的徽章？”
“什么徽章勋章的？”昆丁说道，“您看起来像个体面尊贵的市民，但凭良心说，是你自己神经失常，还是你想把我搞得神经失常？”
“老天爷！”另外那位市民说道，“这年轻人简直想气得圣兰伯特也咒骂人！要知道，除了路易王卫队的苏格兰射手，谁的帽子上还别个圣安德鲁十字和百合花徽章呢？”
“就算我是个苏格兰卫队的射手吧，我佩戴我们卫队的徽章又有什么值得大惊小怪的呢？”昆丁不耐烦地说道。
“他承认了！他承认了！”鲁斯拉尔和巴维翁同声说道。他们转过身来，面对着聚集在那儿的人群，又挥胳膊又伸手地向他们表示庆贺，两张大大的圆脸放射着喜悦的光芒。“他已经承认他是路易王卫队的射手——列日自由的保护者路易王的射手！”
这时爆发出一阵席卷人群的欢呼，其中夹杂着各种不同的口号：“法王路易万岁！”“苏格兰卫队万岁！”“勇敢的射手万岁！”“还我自由，给我权利，宁死不屈！”“不要捐税！”“勇敢的‘阿登内斯野猪’万岁！”“打倒勃艮第•查尔斯！”“波旁主教及其教廷见鬼去吧！”
这喧闹声海涛般地此伏彼起，再加上远处的街道和市场传来的千万人的齐声吼叫，使得这声音更有沸腾、增长之势。昆丁被这搞得莫名其妙，过了好一会儿才猜想出这骚动的含义，并计划该如何调整自己的行动。
原来他忘记了他与奥尔良和杜诺瓦交锋之后，他的一位伙伴按克劳福德大公的吩咐，取下他那被刀砍裂的头盔，给他戴上了一顶钢衬帽，而这种帽子正是苏格兰卫队有名的专用装备的一个组成部分。路易王身边的近卫军竟有一名成员出现在大街上，而此城已通过路易王奸细的煽动而人心鼎沸，这自然会被市民们理解为路易王已决心公开支持他们的事业。而个别射手的出现也被夸大为路易王保证要立即给他们积极支援的一种姿态，甚至被夸大为法国先头部队已从某个城门（但谁也说不清是哪个城门）进驻市内的明证。
