Then I understood.

I understood too well.
The sharp surprise of the discovery was such that involuntarily I drove my spurs into the Cid, and the horse sprang forward.
'What is the matter ?' Fresnoy asked.
'The matter ?' I echoed, my hand still at my belt, feeling--feeling hopelessly.
'Yes, what is it ?' he asked, a brazen smile on his rascally face.
I looked at him, my brow as red as fire.

'Oh! nothing--nothing,' I said.
'Let us trot on.' In truth I had discovered that, taking advantage of my helplessness, the scoundrels had robbed me, while I lay insensible, of every gold crown in my purse! Nor was this all, or the worst, for I saw at once that in doing so they had effected something which was a thousandfold more ominous and formidable--established against me that secret understanding which it was my especial aim to prevent, and on the absence of which I had been counting.

Nay, I saw that for my very life I had only my friend the cutler and my own prudence to thank, seeing that these rogues would certainly have murdered me without scruple had they succeeded in finding the bulk of my money.

Baffled in this, while still persuaded that I had other resources, they had stopped short of that villany--or this memoir had never been written.