en, had just completed their day's
work, and were preparing to eat the supper served by the wife and
mother, a tall, gaunt woman, who looked as if a more liberal scale of
housekeeping would have done her good, but on whose features the stamp
of that devouring and degrading avarice which is the commonest vice of
the French peasantry, was set as plainly as on the hard faces of her
husband and her sons. The _avocat_ explained his business and introduced
his companion briefly, and awaited the reply of Pichon _pere_ without
any appearance of inquietude.

"You don't run any risk," he said; "at least, you don't run any risk
which I cannot make it worth your while to incur. It is not the first
time you have received a temporary guest on my recommendation. You know
nothing about the citizen Glaire, except that he is recommended to you
by me. I am responsible; you can, on occasion, make me so. The citizen
may remain with you a short time; can hardly remain long. Say, citizen,
is it agreed? I have no time to spare."

It was agreed, and Prosper Alix departed, leaving M. Paul de Senanges,
convinced that the right, indeed the only, thing had been done, and yet
much troubled and depressed.

Pichon _pere_ was a short, squat, powerfully built man, verging on
sixty, whose thick, dark grizzled hair, sturdy limbs, and hard hands, on
which the muscles showed like cords, spoke of endurance and strength; he
was, indeed, noted in the neighborhood for those qualities. His sons
resembled him slightly, and each other closely, as was natural, for they
were twins. They were heavy, lumpish fellows, and they made but an
ungracious return to the attempted civilities of the stranger, to whom
the offer of their mother to show him his room was a decided relief. As
he rose to follow the woman, Paul de Senanges lifted his small valise
with difficulty from the floor, on which he had placed it on entering
the house, and carried it out of the room in both his arms. The
brothers followed these movements with curiosity, and, when the door
closed behind their mother and the stranger, their eyes met.

* * * * *

Twenty-four hours had passed away, and nothing new had occurred at the
Maison Alix. The servants had not expressed any curiosity respecting the
departure of the citizen Glaire, no domiciliary visit had taken place,
and Berthe and her father were discussing the propriety of Prosper's
venturing, on the pretext of an excur