"You see, monsieur, we're going to Metz to set up in business; my boys are going to marry the daughters of a correspondent of theirs, and I am going to live with them."

"That makes a difference; but was it chance that brought you to my house, or did the peasants point it out to you as a good place at which to pa.s.s the night?"

"Monsieur," said Gervais, "we are not familiar with this neighborhood, and as we started out rather late, the darkness took us by surprise; that is why we sought shelter, especially on account of our father, who is too old to endure severe weather. But for him, we should never have been able to make up our minds to ask a gentleman for a night's lodging, and we should have pa.s.sed the night on the snow, my brother and I--shouldn't we, Jean?"

"Yes," said Jean in a low voice, and without removing his gaze from the fire.

"You would have done very wrong, messieurs," said Monsieur Gerval, filling the strangers' gla.s.ses; "I like to be useful to my fellowmen, and I will try to give you a comfortable night."

"You live in a very isolated house," said Gervais, emptying his gla.s.s; "aren't you ever afraid of being victimized by robbers?"

"I have never been afraid of that; nothing has ever happened to me thus far."

"Besides, there are enough of us here to defend ourselves," said Dupre, drawing himself up; "and we have weapons, thank G.o.d!"

"Dupre, go and see if Catherine is getting supper ready."

"Yes, monsieur, and I'll go too and see if Madame Constance and her daughter want anything."

Dupre did not go to Adeline's room; but he was glad of an opportunity to let the strangers know that there were more people in the house, for he was not at all pleased to find that the strangers were going to pa.s.s the night there.

He went to the kitchen, and asked Catherine what she thought of the strangers.

"Faith! I think they're honest folk; the old man seems very respectable."

"For an old man who can hardly stand on his legs, he has very bright eyes! And his two sons! one of them looks very much like a regular ne'er-do-well; he always has a sneering laugh when he speaks, and he drinks--oh! he don't leave any in his gla.s.s!"

"Indeed! that's very surprising, isn't it? A peddler!"

"And the other one,--such a sombre air! He never lifts his eyes; and so far the only word he has said is a single 'yes,' and he said it in such a lugubrious way! I don't like those people."

"Bah! you are too suspicious, my dear Dupre."

"No, but I like to know my people."

"Do we know this poor woman who has been living here for more than a year?"

"Oh! but what a difference! A young, beautiful, and interesting woman; why, her condition alone would make anyone pity her; and that child, such a sweet, pretty creature! You see, I know something about faces; and these peddlers--I tell you, Catherine, I shan't sleep sound to-night."

"And I shall sleep very well, I trust."

"For all that, don't forget to lock your door."

"Well, upon my word! if you're not just like Lucas! I must say that we have brave fellows here to defend us, if we should be attacked!"

"You are mistaken, Catherine; I am not a coward; but I realize that I am more than twenty years old. Oh! if I were only twenty, I wouldn't be afraid of three men!"

"Let me get my supper ready, instead of making my ears ache with your nonsense."

"Nonsense! Hum! that's easy to say.--And what about our young woman,--won't she come to supper?"

"You know very well that it isn't her custom. She is asleep, I hope; I suppose you would like to wake her, wouldn't you?"

"Catherine."

"Well?"

"It seems to me that I hear a noise in the yard, near the gate."

"It's the wind waving the trees and shaking the windows. However, go and see."

"Yes, I propose to make sure for myself, although you say that I am a coward."

Dupre lighted a lantern, and made the circuit of the courtyard.

Everything was in its accustomed order; the gate was securely locked; he stopped a moment to look through the bars, but the wind blew the snow into his face. While he was rubbing his eyes, a dull sound reached his ears, which seemed to come from the room on the ground floor which Adeline occupied.

"Poor woman! she isn't asleep yet," said Dupre to himself; "suppose I should go and find out if she wants anything? But monsieur doesn't want her to be disturbed at night; he has forbidden it; so I'll go upstairs again and watch the peddlers."

The old servant met Lucas on the stairs; the gardener was laughing and singing, because he was always very cheerful when there was much company in the house.

"Have you arranged the bedroom for these strangers?" asked Dupre.

"Yes, and I've carried their bundles there; and the tall one wanted to give me a piece of money for my trouble, but I refused it."

"You did well. For people who travel on foot, they're very generous."

"Oh! he has the look of a high liver, has that tall fellow with the red hair; he laughs and drinks and talks for the whole party. If we often had guests like him, there'd be a little more fun here, I tell you! But we haven't got anybody but that poor woman; and a lunatic is never very gay, especially this one."

"Humph! you don't know how to judge people. I don't say that these peddlers are scoundrels, but----"

"But what?"

"Lock your door tight to-night--do you hear, Lucas?"

"Yes, Monsieur Dupre, yes, I hear," replied Lucas, whose hilarity suddenly vanished, and who became pale and perturbed, while Dupre returned slowly to his master's presence.

The old man and Gervais were talking with Monsieur Gerval; the other young man replied only by monosyllables to the questions that were put to him.

"My brother is a little serious," said tall Gervais to his host, in an undertone. "The trouble is, that he is jealous, he's afraid that his sweetheart has forgotten him in the two years that he has been away, and that disturbs him."

"I can understand that, but you don't seem to have the same anxiety!"

"I? morbleu! woman never worried me! I'm a rake, I am! I snap my fingers at them all, and I am capable of----"

"Hush, my son," said the old man, interrupting him abruptly; "you talk a little too freely; excuse him, monsieur; you see he's been a soldier."

"Aha! you have been in the army, have you?"