"I don't care. If that confounded lawyer had not robbed me, I should not be here," said Frank, with rage.
"The Skeleton is here!" said Cardillac, pointing out the provost, who had just appeared at the door, to his companion.
"Cadet, advance at the call!" said Skeleton to the Cripple.
"Here!" he answered, advancing into the hall, accompanied by Frank, whom he took by the arm. During the conversation of Cripple, Frank and Cardillac, Barbillon had gone, by orders of the provost, to recruit twelve or fifteen prisoners, picked men. These, not to excite the suspicions of the keeper, had gone separately to the hall. The other prisoners remained in the yard; some of them, following the instructions of Barbillon, spoke in a loud, quarrelsome tone, to attract the notice of the keeper, and thus call his attention away from the hall, where were soon assembled Barbillon, Nicholas, Frank, Cardillac, Big Cripple, the Skeleton, and some fifteen other prisoners, all waiting with impatient curiosity until the provost should take the chair. Barbillon, charged as spy to announce the approach of the superintendent, placed himself near the door. The Skeleton, taking his pipe from his mouth, said to the Big Cripple:
"Do you know a young man named Germain, with blue eyes, brown hair, and the air of a swell cove?"
"Germain here!" cried Cripple, whose features expressed at once surprise, hatred, anger.
"You do know him, then?"
"Don't I know him? My friend, I denounce him, he is a betrayer! he must be rolled up!"
"Yes, yes!" said the prisoners together.
"Is it very sure that he has denounced?" asked Frank. "Suppose you should be mistaken, and injure a man who does not deserve it?"