ainst them on the morrow.

The lights on ahead were getting perceptibly nearer, soon they detached
themselves still more clearly in the gloom--other lights appeared in the
immediate neighbourhood--too few for a village--thought Maurice, and
grouped closely together, suggesting a main building surrounded by other
smaller ones close by.

Soon the whole outline of the house could be traced through the
enveloping darkness: two of the windows were lighted from within, and an
oil lamp, flickering feebly, was fixed in a recess just above the door.
The welcome words: "Chambres pour voyageurs. Aristide Briot,
proprietaire," greeted Maurice's wearied eyes as he drew rein. Good luck
was apparently attending him for, thus picking his way across fields, he
had evidently struck an out-of-the-way hostelry on some bridle path off
the main road, which was probably a short cut between Chambery and
Vienne.

Be that as it may, he managed to dismount--stiff as he was--and having
tried the door and found it fastened, he hammered against it with his
boot.

A few moments later, the bolts were drawn and an elderly man in blue
blouse and wide trousers, his sabots stuffed with straw, came shuffling
out of the door.

"Who's there?" he called in a feeble, querulous voice.

"A traveller--on horseback," replied Maurice. "Come, petit pere," he
added more impatiently, "will you take my horse or call to one of your
men?"

"It is too late to take in travellers," muttered the old man. "It is
nearly midnight, and everyone is abed except me."

"Too late, morbleu?" exclaimed the young man peremptorily. "You surely
are not thinking of refusing shelter to a traveller on a night like
this. Why, how far is it to the nearest village?"

"It is very late," reiterated the old man plaintively, "and my house is
quite full."

"There's a shake-down in the kitchen anyway, I'll warrant, and one for
my horse somewhere in an outhouse," retorted Maurice as without more ado
he suddenly threw the reins into the old man's hand and unceremoniously
pushed him into the house.

The man appeared to hesitate for a moment or two. He grumbled and
muttered something which Maurice did not hear, and his shrewd eyes--the
knowing eyes of a peasant of the Dauphine--took a rapid survey of the
belated traveller's clothes, the expensive caped coat, the well-made
boots, the fashionable hat, which showed up clearly now by the light
from within.

Satisfied that there could be no r