Yet his situation was too embarrassing to be long endured, without making some attempt to extricate himself and to obtain some explanation.
Quentin looked around him, and fixing upon a jolly, stout made, respectable man, whom, by his velvet cloak and gold chain, he concluded to be a burgher of eminence, and perhaps a magistrate, he asked him whether he saw anything particular in his appearance, to attract public attention in a degree so unusual?
or whether it was the ordinary custom of the people of Liege thus to throng around strangers who chanced to visit their city?
"Surely not, good seignior," answered the burgher, "the Liegeois are neither so idly curious as to practise such a custom, nor is there anything in your dress or appearance saving that which is most welcome to this city, and which our townsmen are both delighted to see and desirous to honour." "This sounds very polite, worthy sir," said Quentin, "but, by the Cross of Saint Andrew, I cannot even guess at your meaning." "Your oath," answered the merchant of Liege, "as well as your accent, convinces me that we are right in our conjecture." "By my patron Saint Quentin!" said Durward, "I am farther off from your meaning than ever." "There again now," rejoined the Liegeois, looking, as he spoke, most provokingly, yet most civilly, politic and intelligent.
"It is surely not for us to see that which you, worthy seignior, deem it proper to conceal: But why swear by Saint Quentin, if you would not have me construe your meaning ?--We know the good Count of Saint Paul, who lies there at present, wishes well to our cause." "On my life," said Quentin, "you are under some delusion .-- I know nothing of Saint Paul." "Nay, we question you not," said the burgher, "although, hark ye--I say, hark in your ear--my name is Pavillon." "And what is my business with that, Seignior Pavillon ?" said Quentin.
"Nay, nothing--only methinks it might satisfy you that I am trustworthy .-- Here is my colleague Rouslaer, too." Rouslaer advanced, a corpulent dignitary, whose fair round belly, like a battering ram, "did shake the press before him," and who, whispering caution to his neighbour, said in a tone of rebuke, "You forget, good colleague, the place is too open--the seignior will retire to your house or mine, and drink a glass of Rhenish and sugar, and then we shall hear more of our good friend and ally, whom we love with all our honest Flemish hearts." "I have no news for any of you," said Quentin, impatiently, "I will drink no Rhenish, and I only desire of you, as men of account and respectability, to disperse this idle crowd, and allow a stranger to leave your town as quietly as he came into it." "Nay, then, sir," said Rouslaer, "since you stand so much on your incognito, and with us, too, who are men of confidence, let me ask you roundly, wherefore wear you the badge of your company if you would remain unknown in Liege." "What badge, and what order ?" said Quentin, "you look like reverend men and grave citizens, yet, on my soul you are either mad yourselves, or desire to drive me so." "Sapperment!" said the other burgher, "this youth would make Saint Lambert swear! Why, who wear bonnets with the Saint Andrew's cross and fleur de lys, save the Scottish Archers of King Louis's Guards ?" "And supposing I am an Archer of the Scottish Guard, why should you make a wonder of my wearing the badge of my company ?" said Quentin impatiently.
"He has avowed it, he has avowed it!" said Rouslaer and Pavillon, turning to the assembled burghers in attitudes of congratulation, with waving arms, extended palms, and large round faces radiating with glee.

"He hath avowed himself an Archer of Louis's Guard--of Louis, the guardian of the liberties of Liege!" A general shout and cry now arose from the multitude, in which were mingled the various sounds of "Long live Louis of France! Long live the Scottish Guard! Long live the valiant Archer! Our liberties, our privileges, or death! No imposts! Long live the valiant Boar of Ardennes! Down with Charles of Burgundy! and confusion to Bourbon and his bishopric!" Half stunned by the noise, which began anew in one quarter so soon as it ceased in another, rising and falling like the billows of the sea, and augmented by thousands of voices which roared in chorus from distant streets and market places, Quentin had yet time to form a conjecture concerning the meaning of the tumult, and a plan for regulating his own conduct: He had forgotten that, after his skirmish with Orleans and Dunois, one of his comrades had, at Lord Crawford's command, replaced the morion, cloven by the sword of the latter, with one of the steel lined bonnets which formed a part of the proper and well known equipment of the Scottish Guards.

That an individual of this body, which was always kept very close to Louis's person, should have appeared in the streets of a city whose civil discontents had been aggravated by the agents of that King, was naturally enough interpreted by the burghers of Liege into a determination on the part of Louis openly to assist their cause, and the apparition of an individual archer was magnified into a pledge of immediate and active support from Louis--nay, into an assurance that his auxiliary forces were actually entering the town at one or other, though no one could distinctly tell which, of the city gates.
To remove a conviction so generally adopted, Quentin easily saw was impossible--nay, that any attempt to undeceive men so obstinately prepossessed in their belief, would be attended with personal risk, which, in this case, he saw little use of incurring.

He therefore hastily resolved to temporize, and to get free the best way he could, and this resolution he formed while they were in the act of conducting him to the Stadthouse [town house], where the notables of the town were fast assembling, in order to hear the tidings which he was presumed to have brought, and to regale him with a splendid banquet.
In spite of all his opposition, which was set down to modesty, he was on every side surrounded by the donors of popularity, the unsavoury tide of which now floated around him.

His two burgomaster friends, who were Schoppen, or Syndics of the city, had made fast both his arms.