n it
frantically; crying out to them to let me in. But the three travellers
only jeered at me, and the landlord, coming to the window, with his head
bleeding, shook his fist at me, and cursed me for a mischief-maker.

Baffled in this, I retired to a log which lay in the road a few paces
from the house, and sat down on it to await events. With torn clothes
and bleeding face, hatless and covered with dirt, I was in little better
case than my opponent. It was raining, too, and the dripping branches
swayed over my head. The wind was in the south--the coldest quarter.
I began to feel chilled and dispirited. If my scheme failed, I had
forfeited roof and bed to no purpose, and placed future progress out of
the question. It was a critical moment.

But at last that happened for which I had been looking. The door swung
open a few inches, and a man came noiselessly out; it was quickly barred
behind him. He stood a moment, waiting on the threshold and peering
into the gloom; and seemed to expect to be attacked. Finding himself
unmolested, however, and all quiet, he went off steadily down the
street--towards the Chateau.

I let a couple of minutes go by, and then I followed. I had no
difficulty in hitting on the track at the end of the street, but when
I had once plunged into the wood, I found myself in darkness so intense
that I soon strayed from the path, and fell over roots, and tore my
clothes with thorns, and lost my temper twenty times before I found
the path again. However, I gained the bridge at last, and thence caught
sight of a light twinkling before me. To make for it across the meadow
and terrace was an easy task; yet, when I had reached the door and had
hammered upon it, I was so worn out, and in so sorry a plight that I
sank down, and had little need to play a part, or pretend to be worse
than I was.

For a long time no one answered. The dark house towering above me
remained silent. I could hear, mingled with the throbbings of my heart,
the steady croaking of the frogs in a pond near the stables; but no
other sound. In a frenzy of impatience and disgust, I stood up again and
hammered, kicking with my heels on the nail-studded door, and crying out
desperately,--

'A MOI! A MOI!'

Then, or a moment later, I heard a remote door opened; footsteps as of
more than one person drew near. I raised my voice and cried again,--

'A MOI!'

'Who is there?' a voice asked.

'A gentleman in distress,' I answered piteously,