“It is she, monsieur,” said Dupré to his master; “it’s very surprising that she has left her room so late.”
“Is that the poor woman?” asked the old man.
“Pardieu! I want to see the mad woman!” cried tall Gervais; “I am curious to know whether or not she is pretty.”
He ran at once to the window but Adeline had already returned to her room.
“Good-night, messieurs,” said Gerval to the strangers; “I will see you to-morrow before you leave.”
The peddlers went up to the second floor, Lucas left them a light, and hastened down to his room, which adjoined the kitchen, taking care to barricade the door, from top to bottom, as Dupré had advised.
The latter, left alone with his master, for the cook had already retired, communicated to Monsieur Gerval his observations on the subject of the strangers.
“You must agree, monsieur,” he said, “that that tall fellow has the look of a vagabond. His way of talking and of behaving, his lack of respect toward his father——”
“What do you expect? He had had a little too much to drink!”
“His peculiar expressions——”