Frank perceived this only a few days after he had engaged him. It was a Friday, and the old man who was told to go and gather a few tomatoes—the first of the season—exclaimed: "What! begin on a Friday, but you forget yourself, Mr. Mathers."
Frank laughed at him and told him to go all the same, adding that he was surprised people believed in such nonsense. Old Pierre obeyed muttering: "He is a young man, and he will lose a nice lot of money on his crops, defying fate in that way. But it's as the proverb says: 'Experience is a thing which is bought.'"
Although Frank did not believe in any of the old man's notions, the continual remarks which he heard made him eager to know more. When they had dined, the two men proceeded to a garden seat and while the elder smoked his pipe, the younger questioned him.
Pierre was very reticent in his information. What was the use of telling this young man anything; he would not believe him.
As time passed on, he began to have more confidence in his employer, and seeing that he never laughed at what he said, he gradually became more talkative.
One day, when Frank was questioning him, the old man asked: "Have you ever seen the feu bellanger?"
"I don't think so," responded Frank, "at any rate, I had never heard that name mentioned before."
"Well," said Maît Pierre, "if you care to listen, I shall tell you all about it; you appear eager to know everything."
He took his pipe from between his teeth; well emptied the bowl, and put the blackened clay pipe in his pocket with studied carefulness. Then he began: "The feu bellanger is one of the devil's angels which takes the shape of fire, and goes about at night, generally when it is very dark, and tries to pounce upon some victim."
Here, he stopped and looked inquiringly at Frank, who, in his desire to hear what old Pierre had to say, kept a very grave face.