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The quarrel was not conducted with a proper regard to the king's peace, and the pair publicly belaboured each other until the police stepped in, and Master Tabary was cast once more into the prisons of the Bishop. While he still lay in durance, another job was cleverly executed by the band in broad daylight, at the Augustine Monastery.
As for Tabary, he laughed immoderately over the medlars; he had never heard anything more light-hearted; and he held his sides and crowed. Villon fetched him a fillip on the nose, which turned his mirth into an attack of coughing. "Oh, stop that row," said Villon, "and think of rhymes to 'fish'!" "Doubles or quits? Said Montigny, doggedly. "With all my heart," quoth Thevenin.
You'll wish you knew none of it at the great assizes, when the devil calls for Guido Tabary, clericus the devil with the hump-back and red-hot finger-nails. Talking of the devil," he added in a whisper, "look at Montigny!" All three peered covertly at the gamester. He did not seem to be enjoying his luck. His mouth was a little to a side; one nostril nearly shut, and the other much inflated.
The four living fellows looked at each other in rather a ghastly fashion, the dead man contemplating a corner of the roof with a singular and ugly leer. "My God!" said Tabary, and he began to pray in Latin. Villon broke out into hysterical laughter. He came a step forward and ducked a ridiculous bow at Thevenin, and laughed still louder.
A flat smile illuminated his face; his bald head shone rosily in a garland of red curls; his little protuberant stomach shook with silent chucklings as he swept in his gains. "Doubles or quits?" said Thevenin. Montigny nodded grimly. "Some may prefer to dine in state" wrote Villon, "On bread and cheese on silver plate. Or or help me out, Guido!" Tabary giggled.
Tabary was the last to help himself; he made a dash at the money, and retired to the other end of the apartment. Montigny stuck Thevenin upright in the chair, and drew out the dagger, which was followed by a jet of blood. "You fellows had better be moving," he said, as he wiped the blade on his victim's doublet. "I think we had," returned Villon, with a gulp. "Damn his fat head!" he broke out.
Eight crowns from this adventure were forwarded by little Thibault to the incarcerated Tabary; and with these he bribed the jailer and reappeared in Paris taverns. Some time before or shortly after this, Villon set out for Angers, as he had promised in the "Small Testament."
"Come now," said Villon "about this ballade. How does it run so far?" And beating time with his hand, he read it aloud to Tabary. They were interrupted at the fourth rhyme by a brief and fatal movement among the gamesters. The round was completed, and Thevenin was just opening his mouth to claim another victory, when Montigny leaped up, swift as an adder, and stabbed him to the heart.
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