"Stay where you are, if you value your skin, gypsy. You needn't be afraid of a Romany."
"Hullo, he's one of us. Seems to know me," she thought, shivering from head to foot.
She tried to feel reassured, but she was ill at ease. She was very glad to see him climb on to the roof like the others.
"Good gracious," she thought, "there are plenty of people on the balcony to-night. What a carnival on the tiles!"
She covered herself with the bed-clothes. Her little face did not pop out again till half an hour later, when Hilaire came back, and after closing the window threatened her with dire penalties if she did not forget what she had seen that night.
Then he quickly went downstairs, for he heard the voice of Madame Hilaire, who had already come back from her mother.
Next morning as Zoé was helping her master to lay out the goods for sale in the shop window, she saw an officer stop and approach Hilaire, and as she had sharp ears she caught the words:
"You acted last night like a man of courage and you saved my life. We shall meet again, Monsieur."
"Whenever you like," returned Hilaire. "My shop is always open except after midday on Sundays. Every evening from five to seven I have a little game of cards in the café round the corner. There's a private room for a chat. I shall always be glad to be of service to you." And as a new customer came up to him he added:
"And the next thing, please?"