"It is a most picturesque interior, strongly tinged with local color," said Edouard.
"I don’t know whether it has any color," muttered Robineau, "but this same picturesque interior smells horribly!"
"Where are we, please, good people?" inquired Alfred.
"At Chadrat," the old man replied.
"At Chadrat!" cried Robineau; "what! this is Chadrat! and they dare to call this a village! I wouldn’t take it to stable my horses in."
Apparently paying no attention to Robineau, the shepherd, who had entered with the travellers, made an imperative sign to the boys kneeling by the fire; whereupon they decided, although with regret, to rise, and brought forward some small wooden benches for the travellers.
"Sit down, messieurs, and rest yourselves," said the Auvergnat.
Alfred and Edouard seated themselves, while Robineau gazed in alarm at the three tall youths who had risen, and glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the doorway of the hovel. But his companions paid no heed to the signs he made them, so he decided at last to take a seat.
"We were anxious to arrive to-night at a château called La Roche-Noire," said Alfred; "do you know it?"
The peasants looked at one another and shook their heads.