were scarce in the upper
stories of the Bath Hotel, nor was there any light throughout the long
corridor, except the one tallow candle which his useless guide had
deposited on the floor. Utterly upset at the idea of having to tramp
down four pair of stairs and back again in search of accommodation, the
unlucky Gaul was seeking a momentary relief in the manner above stated,
when Ashburner came to the rescue. His bed happened to be rather a large
one--so large, comparatively, that it was a mystery how it had ever
found its way into the little room, the four walls of which seemed to
have grown or been built up around it; and this bed he instantly
proposed to share with Le Roi for the night. The Frenchman _mercied_,
and couldn't think of such a thing for five minutes, edging into the
room and pulling off his coat and boots all the time; then he gave a
glorious exemplification of _cessanta causa_, for all his rage vanished
in a moment, and he was the same exuberantly good-natured and profusely
loquacious man that he had been all day. On he streamed in a perpetual
flow of talk long after both were in bed, until Ashburner began to feel
as a man might to whom some fairy had given a magical instrument, which
discoursed sweet music at first, but could never be made to stop
playing. And when at length the Vicomte, having lighted on the subject
of women, poured out an infinity of adventures with ladies of all
countries, of all which stories Vincent Le Roi was, of course, the hero,
his fellow-traveller, unable to help being disgusted at his vanity and
levity, turned round to the wall, and without considering whether he was
acting in accordance with _bienseance_, fell fast asleep in the midst of
one of the most thrilling narratives.

When Ashburner awoke next morning, the first thing he was conscious of
was Le Roi talking. It required very little exercise of the imagination
to suppose that he had been going on uninterruptedly all night.
Afterwards he became aware of a considerable disturbance, evidently
originating in the lower story of the house, but sufficiently audible
all over it, which he put down to the account of numerous new arrivals.
By the time they had completed their toilettes (which did not take very
long, for the room being just under the roof, was of a heat that made it
desirable for them to evacuate it as soon as possible), Benson made his
appearance. He had obtained possession of his baggage, and arrayed
himself in