e, taken their departure one after the other
so that the two houses next to Rene's were left empty and closed. Yet,
in spite of this solitude and desertedness, belated passers-by had
frequently seen, glittering through the crevices of the shutters of
these empty habitations, strange rays of light, and had felt certain
they heard strange noises like groans, which proved that some beings
frequented these abodes, although they did not know if they belonged to
this world or the other.

The result was that the tenants of the two buildings contiguous to the
two empty houses from time to time queried whether it would not be wise
in them to do as their neighbors had done.

It was, doubtless, owing to the privilege which the dread of him, widely
circulated, had procured for him, that Maitre Rene had ventured to keep
up a light after the prescribed hour. No round or guard, moreover, would
have dared to molest him, a man doubly dear to her majesty as her
fellow-countryman and perfumer.

As we suppose that the reader, panoplied by the philosophical wisdom of
this century, no longer believes in magic or magicians, we will invite
him to accompany us into this dwelling which, at that epoch of
superstitious faith, shed around it such a profound terror.

The shop on the ground floor is dark and deserted after eight o'clock in
the evening--the hour at which it closes, not to open again until next
morning; there it is that the daily sale of perfumery, unguents, and
cosmetics of all kinds, such as a skilful chemist makes, takes place.
Two apprentices aid him in the retail business, but do not sleep in the
house; they lodge in the Rue de la Colandre.

In the evening they take their departure an instant before the shop
closes; in the morning they wait at the door until it opens.

This ground-floor shop is therefore dark and deserted, as we have said.

In this shop, which is large and deep, there are two doors, each leading
to a staircase. One of these staircases is in the wall itself and is
lateral, and the other is exterior and visible from the quay now called
the Quai des Augustins, and from the riverbank, now called the Quai des
Orfevres.

Both lead to the principal room on the first floor. This room is of the
same size as the ground floor, except that it is divided into two
compartments by tapestry suspended in the centre and parallel to the
bridge. At the end of the first compartment opens the door leading to
the exterior stair