’Onecanlodgehereto-night，madame？’
　　’Perfectly!’saidthelandladyinahigh，sing-song，cheeryvoice。
　　’Good。Onecandine——sup——whatyoupleasetocallit？’
　　’Ah，perfectly!’criedthelandladyasbefore。
　　’Dispatchthen，madame，ifyouplease。Somethingtoeat，asquicklyasyoucan；andsomewineatonce。Iamexhausted。’
　　’Itisverybadweather，monsieur，’saidthelandlady。
　　’Cursedweather。’
　　’Andaverylongroad。’
　　’Acursedroad。’
　　Hishoarsevoicefailedhim，andherestedhisheaduponhishandsuntilabottleofwinewasbroughtfromthecounter。Havingfilledandemptiedhislittletumblertwice，andhavingbrokenoffanendfromthegreatloafthatwassetbeforehimwithhisclothandnapkin，soup-plate，salt，pepper，andoil，herestedhisbackagainstthecornerofthewall，madeacouchofthebenchonwhichhesat，andbegantochewcrust，untilsuchtimeashisrepastshouldbeready。
　　Therehadbeenthatmomentaryinterruptionofthetalkaboutthestove，andthattemporaryinattentiontoanddistractionfromoneanother，whichisusuallyinseparableinsuchacompanyfromthearrivalofastranger。Ithadpassedoverbythistime；andthemenhaddoneglancingathim，andweretalkingagain。
　　’That’sthetruereason，’saidoneofthem，bringingastoryhehadbeentelling，toaclose，’that’sthetruereasonwhytheysaidthatthedevilwasletloose。’ThespeakerwasthetallSwissbelongingtothechurch，andhebroughtsomethingoftheauthorityofthechurchintothediscussion——especiallyasthedevilwasinquestion。
　　Thelandladyhavinggivenherdirectionsforthenewguest’sentertainmenttoherhusband，whoactedascooktotheBreakofDay，hadresumedherneedleworkbehindhercounter。Shewasasmart，neat，brightlittlewoman，withagooddealofcapandagooddealofstocking，andshestruckintotheconversationwithseverallaughingnodsofherhead，butwithoutlookingupfromherwork。
　　’AhHeaven，then，’saidshe。’WhentheboatcameupfromLyons，andbroughtthenewsthatthedevilwasactuallyletlooseatMarseilles，somefly-catchersswallowedit。ButI？No，notI。’
　　’Madame，youarealwaysright，’returnedthetallSwiss。
　　’Doubtlessyouwereenragedagainstthatman，madame？’
　　’Ay，yes，then!’criedthelandlady，raisinghereyesfromherwork，openingthemverywide，andtossingherheadononeside。
　　’Naturally，yes。’
　　’Hewasabadsubject。’
　　’Hewasawickedwretch，’saidthelandlady，’andwellmeritedwhathehadthegoodfortunetoescape。Somuchtheworse。’
　　’Stay，madame!Letussee，’returnedtheSwiss，argumentativelyturninghiscigarbetweenhislips。’Itmayhavebeenhisunfortunatedestiny。Hemayhavebeenthechildofcircumstances。
　　Itisalwayspossiblethathehad，andhas，goodinhimifonedidbutknowhowtofinditout。Philosophicalphilanthropyteaches——’
　　Therestofthelittleknotaboutthestovemurmuredanobjectiontotheintroductionofthatthreateningexpression。Eventhetwoplayersatdominoesglancedupfromtheirgame，asiftoprotestagainstphilosophicalphilanthropybeingbroughtbynameintotheBreakofDay。
　　’Holdthere，youandyourphilanthropy，’criedthesmilinglandlady，noddingherheadmorethanever。’Listenthen。Iamawoman，I。Iknownothingofphilosophicalphilanthropy。ButI
　　knowwhatIhaveseen，andwhatIhavelookedinthefaceinthisworldhere，whereIfindmyself。AndItellyouthis，myfriend，thattherearepeoplemenandwomenboth，unfortunatelywhohavenogoodinthem——none。Thattherearepeoplewhomitisnecessarytodetestwithoutcompromise。Thattherearepeoplewhomustbedealtwithasenemiesofthehumanrace。Thattherearepeoplewhohavenohumanheart，andwhomustbecrushedlikesavagebeastsandclearedoutoftheway。Theyarebutfew，Ihope；butIhaveseeninthisworldherewhereIfindmyself，andevenatthelittleBreakofDaythattherearesuchpeople。AndIdonotdoubtthatthisman——whatevertheycallhim，Iforgethisname——isoneofthem。’
　　Thelandlady’slivelyspeechwasreceivedwithgreaterfavourattheBreakofDay，thanitwouldhaveelicitedfromcertainamiablewhitewashersoftheclassshesounreasonablyobjectedto，nearerGreatBritain。
　　’Myfaith!Ifyourphilosophicalphilanthropy，’saidthelandlady，puttingdownherwork，andrisingtotakethestranger’ssoupfromherhusband，whoappearedwithitatasidedoor，’putsanybodyatthemercyofsuchpeoplebyholdingtermswiththematall，inwordsordeeds，orboth，takeitawayfromtheBreakofDay，foritisn’tworthasou。’
　　Assheplacedthesoupbeforetheguest，whochangedhisattitudetoasittingone，helookedherfullintheface，andhismoustachewentupunderhisnose，andhisnosecamedownoverhismoustache。
　　’Well!’saidthepreviousspeaker，’letuscomebacktooursubject。Leavingallthataside，gentlemen，itwasbecausethemanwasacquittedonhistrialthatpeoplesaidatMarseillesthatthedevilwasletloose。Thatwashowthephrasebegantocirculate，andwhatitmeant；nothingmore。’
　　’Howdotheycallhim？’saidthelandlady。’Biraud，isitnot？’
　　’Rigaud，madame，’returnedthetallSwiss。
　　’Rigaud!Tobesure。’
　　Thetraveller’ssoupwassucceededbyadishofmeat，andthatbyadishofvegetables。Heateallthatwasplacedbeforehim，emptiedhisbottleofwine，calledforaglassofrum，andsmokedhiscigarettewithhiscupofcoffee。Ashebecamerefreshed，hebecameoverbearing；andpatronisedthecompanyattheDaybreakincertainsmalltalkatwhichheassisted，asifhisconditionwerefarabovehisappearance。
　　Thecompanymighthavehadotherengagements，ortheymighthavefelttheirinferiority，butinanycasetheydispersedbydegrees，andnotbeingreplacedbyothercompany，lefttheirnewpatroninpossessionoftheBreakofDay。Thelandlordwasclinkingaboutinhiskitchen；thelandladywasquietatherwork；andtherefreshedtravellersatsmokingbythestove，warminghisraggedfeet。
　　’Pardonme，madame——thatBiraud。’
　　’Rigaud，monsieur。’
　　’Rigaud。Pardonmeagain——hascontractedyourdispleasure，how？’
　　Thelandlady，whohadbeenatonemomentthinkingwithinherselfthatthiswasahandsomeman，atanothermomentthatthiswasanill-lookingman，observedthenosecomingdownandthemoustachegoingup，andstronglyinclinedtothelatterdecision。Rigaudwasacriminal，shesaid，whohadkilledhiswife。
　　’Ay，ay？Deathofmylife，that’sacriminalindeed。Buthowdoyouknowit？’
　　’Alltheworldknowsit。’
　　’Hah!Andyetheescapedjustice？’
　　’Monsieur，thelawcouldnotproveitagainsthimtoitssatisfaction。Sothelawsays。Nevertheless，alltheworldknowshedidit。Thepeopleknewitsowell，thattheytriedtotearhimtopieces。’
　　’Beingallinperfectaccordwiththeirownwives？’saidtheguest。
　　’Haha!’
　　ThelandladyoftheBreakofDaylookedathimagain，andfeltalmostconfirmedinherlastdecision。Hehadafinehand，though，andheturneditwithagreatshow。Shebeganoncemoretothinkthathewasnotill-lookingafterall。
　　’Didyoumention，madame——orwasitmentionedamongthegentlemen——
　　whatbecameofhim？’
　　Thelandladyshookherhead；itbeingthefirstconversationalstageatwhichhervivaciousearnestnesshadceasedtonodit，keepingtimetowhatshesaid。IthadbeenmentionedattheDaybreak，sheremarked，ontheauthorityofthejournals，thathehadbeenkeptinprisonforhisownsafety。Howeverthatmightbe，hehadescapedhisdeserts；somuchtheworse。
　　Theguestsatlookingatherashesmokedouthisfinalcigarette，andasshesatwithherheadbentoverherwork，withanexpressionthatmighthaveresolvedherdoubts，andbroughthertoalastingconclusiononthesubjectofhisgoodorbadlooksifshehadseenit。Whenshedidlookup，theexpressionwasnotthere。Thehandwassmoothinghisshaggymoustache。
　　’Mayoneasktobeshowntobed，madame？’
　　Verywillingly，monsieur。Hola，myhusband!Myhusbandwouldconducthimup-stairs。Therewasonetravellerthere，asleep，whohadgonetobedveryearlyindeed，beingoverpoweredbyfatigue；
　　butitwasalargechamberwithtwobedsinit，andspaceenoughfortwenty。ThisthelandladyoftheBreakofDaychirpinglyexplained，callingbetweenwhiles，’Hola，myhusband!’outatthesidedoor。
　　Myhusbandansweredatlength，’ItisI，mywife!’andpresentinghimselfinhiscook’scap，lightedthetravellerupasteepandnarrowstaircase；thetravellercarryinghisowncloakandknapsack，andbiddingthelandladygoodnightwithacomplimentaryreferencetothepleasureofseeingheragainto-morrow。Itwasalargeroom，witharoughsplinteryfloor，unplasteredraftersoverhead，andtwobedsteadsonoppositesides。Here’myhusband’
　　putdownthecandlehecarried，andwithasidelonglookathisgueststoopingoverhisknapsack，grufflygavehimtheinstruction，’Thebedtotheright!’andlefthimtohisrepose。Thelandlord，whetherhewasagoodorabadphysiognomist，hadfullymadeuphismindthattheguestwasanill-lookingfellow。
　　Theguestlookedcontemptuouslyatthecleancoarsebeddingpreparedforhim，and，sittingdownontherushchairatthebedside，drewhismoneyoutofhispocket，andtolditoverinhishand。’Onemusteat，’hemutteredtohimself，’butbyHeavenI
　　musteatatthecostofsomeothermanto-morrow!’
　　Ashesatpondering，andmechanicallyweighinghismoneyinhispalm，thedeepbreathingofthetravellerintheotherbedfellsoregularlyuponhishearingthatitattractedhiseyesinthatdirection。Themanwascoveredupwarm，andhaddrawnthewhitecurtainathishead，sothathecouldbeonlyheard，notseen。Butthedeepregularbreathing，stillgoingonwhiletheotherwastakingoffhiswornshoesandgaiters，andstillcontinuingwhenhehadlaidasidehiscoatandcravat，becameatlengthastrongprovocativetocuriosity，andincentivetogetaglimpseofthesleeper’sface。
　　Thewakingtraveller，therefore，stolealittlenearer，andyetalittlenearer，andalittlenearertothesleepingtraveller’sbed，untilhestoodclosebesideit。Eventhenhecouldnotseehisface，forhehaddrawnthesheetoverit。Theregularbreathingstillcontinuing，heputhissmoothwhitehandsuchatreacheroushanditlooked，asitwentcreepingfromhim!tothesheet，andgentlylifteditaway。
　　’Deathofmysoul!’hewhispered，fallingback，’here’sCavalletto!’
　　ThelittleItalian，previouslyinfluencedinhissleep，perhaps，bythestealthypresenceathisbedside，stoppedinhisregularbreathing，andwithalongdeeprespirationopenedhiseyes。Atfirsttheywerenotawake，thoughopen。Helayforsomesecondslookingplacidlyathisoldprisoncompanion，andthen，allatonce，withacryofsurpriseandalarm，sprangoutofbed。