They then marched him out; he begged to be allowed to speak, but the soldiery did not reply, simply hurrying him forward.

He now feared that he should be executed without the chance being afforded him to say a word; but, to his surprise, he found in a few minutes that they were taking him in the direction of the king's quarters.

New fears now seized him, for he had heard of men being turned loose, made to run for their lives, and hunted down with hounds for the amusement of the Court.
If the citizen's wealth had made him many enemies (men whom he had befriended, and who hoped, if they could be see him executed, to escape the payment of their debts), on the other hand, it had made him as many friends, that is, interested friends, who trusted by doing him service to obtain advances.

These latter had lost no time, for greed is quite as eager as hate, and carried the matter at once to the king.

What they desired was that the case should be decided by the monarch himself, and not by his chancellor, or a judge appointed for the purpose.