ders,
broad, powerful, and fleshy, displaying themselves even under the loose
folds of his coarse cotton blouse; he had long, muscular arms, hands
short, thick, and hairy to the very fingers' end, with legs somewhat
bowed, whose enormous calves betokened his vast strength. This man
presented, in fact, the exaggeration of what there is of short,
thickset, and condensed, in the type of the Hercules Farnese. As to the
expression of ferocity which suffused this hideous mask, and the
restless, wild, and glaring look, more like a wild beast than a human
being, it is impossible to describe them.

The woman who accompanied the Schoolmaster was old, and rather neatly
dressed in a brown gown, with a plaid shawl, of red and black check, and
a white bonnet. Rodolph saw her profile, and her green eye, hooked nose,
skinny lips, peaked chin, and countenance at once wicked and cunning,
reminded him involuntarily of La Chouette, that horrible old wretch who
had made poor Fleur-de-Marie her victim. He was just on the point of
saying this to the girl, when he saw her suddenly turn pale with fright,
whilst looking at the hideous companion of the Schoolmaster, and
seizing the arm of Rodolph with a trembling hand, the Goualeuse said, in
a low voice:

"Oh, the Chouette! the Chouette!--the one-eyed woman!"

At this moment the Schoolmaster, after having exchanged a few words in
an undertone with Barbillon, came slowly towards the table where
Rodolph, the Goualeuse, and the Chourineur were sitting, and addressing
himself to Fleur-de-Marie, in a hoarse voice, said:

"Ah, my pretty, fair miss, you must quit these two 'muffs,' and come
with me."

The Goualeuse made no reply, but clung to Rodolph, her teeth chattering
with fright.

"And I shall not be jealous of my man, my little _fourline_" (a pet word
for assassin), added the Chouette, laughing loudly. She had not yet
recognised in Goualeuse "Pegriotte," her old victim.

"Well, my little white face, dost hear me?" said the monster, advancing.
"If thou dost not come, I'll poke your eye out, and make you a match for
the Chouette. And thou with the moustache," he said to Rodolph, "if thou
dost not stand from between me and the wench, I'll crack thy crown."

"Defend me! oh, defend me!" cried Fleur-de-Marie to Rodolph, clasping
her hands. Then, reflecting that she was about to expose him to great
danger, she added, in a low voice, "No, no, do not move, Mister Rodolph;
if he comes nearer, I wi