mouthed.

"A one-eyed woman and a one-eyed house," he answered darkly. Then,
before I could frame a question, he turned from me as abruptly as he
had come, and, mounting a sorry mare that stood near, stumbled away
through the ford.

It required little wit to see that the man was an astrologer, and one
whose predictions, if they had not profited his clients more than
himself, had been ominous indeed. I was inclined, therefore, to make
sport of him, knowing that the pretenders to that art are to the true
men as ten to one. But his words, and particularly the fact that he
had asked for nothing, had impressed my followers differently; so that
they talked of nothing else while we ate, and could still be heard
discussing him in the saddle. The wildness of the road and the gloomy
aspect of the valley had doubtless some effect on their minds; which a
thunderstorm that shortly afterwards overtook us and drenched us to the
skin did not tend to lighten. I was glad to see the roofs of Saury
before us; though, on a nearer approach, we found all the houses except
the inn ruined and tenantless; and even, that scorched and scarred,
with the great gate that had once closed its courtyard prostrate in the
road before it.

However, in view of the country we had come through, and the general
desolation, we were thankful to find things no worse. The village stood
at the entrance to a gorge, with the Creuse--here a fast-rushing
stream--running at the back of the inn. The latter was of good size,
stone-built and tiled, and, at first, seemed to be empty; but the
servants presently unearthed a man and then a boy. Fires were lit, and
the horses stabled; and a second room with a chimney being found,
Parabere and I, with Colet and my gentlemen, took possession of it,
leaving the kitchen to my following.

I had had my boots removed, and was drying my clothes and expecting
supper, when Boisrueil, who was beside me, uttered an exclamation of
amazement.

"What is it?" I said.

He did not answer, and I followed his eyes. A woman had just entered
the room with a bundle of sticks. She had one eye!

I confess that, for an instant, this staggered me; but a moment's
thought reminded me that the astrologer had come from this inn to us,
and I smiled at the credulity which would have built on a coincidence
that was no coincidence. When the woman had retired again, therefore,
I rallied Boisrueil on his timidity; but, though he admitted the
co