r shook his legs and arms, and then partly rose
from the ground.

"Pray be on your guard!" exclaimed the Goualeuse, retreating again into
the dark passage, and taking her champion by the arm; "take care, or he
will have his revenge on you."

"Don't be frightened, my child; if he has not had enough, I have more
ready for him."

The brigand heard these words.

"Thanks," he murmured; "I'm half throttled, and one eye is closed,--that
is quite enough for one day. Some other time, perhaps, when we may meet
again--"

"What! not content yet,--grumbling still?" said the unknown, with a
menacing tone.

"No, no,--not at all; I do not grumble in the least. You have regularly
served me out,--you are a lad of mettle," said the Chourineur, in a
coarse tone, but still with that sort of deference which physical
superiority always finds in persons of his grade. "You are the better
man, that's clear. Well, except the Skeleton, who seems to have bones of
iron, he is so thin and powerful, and the Schoolmaster, who could eat
three Herculeses for his breakfast, no man living could boast of having
put his foot on my neck."

"Well, and what then?"

"Why, now I have found my master, that's all; you will find yours some
day sooner or later,--everybody does. One thing, however, is certain;
now that you are a better man than the Chourineur, you may 'go your
length' in the Cite. All the women will be your slaves; ogres and
ogresses will give you credit, if it is only for fear; you may be a king
in your way! But who and what are you? You 'patter flash' like a family
man! If you are a 'prig' I'll have nothing to do with you. I have used
the knife, it is true, because, when the blood comes into my eyes, I see
_red_, and I must strike, in spite of myself; but I have paid for my
slashing, by going to the hulks for fifteen years. My time is up, and I
am free from surveillance. I can now live in the capital, without fear
of the 'beaks;' and I have never prigged,--have I, La Goualeuse?"

"No, he was never a thief," said the girl.

"Come along, then, and let us have a glass of something together, and
I'll tell you who I am," said the unknown. "Come, don't let us bear
malice."

"Bear malice! Devil a bit! You are master,--I confess it. You do know
how to handle your fists; I never knew anything like it. Thunder and
lightning! how your thumps fell on my sconce,--I never felt anything
like it. Yours is a new game, and you must teach it to me."