He made his guests enter the cage cautiously, then went in after them, brought the stones together again, and hermetically closed the opening. They lay down all three on the mat, and though they were all so short, not one of them could stand upright in the alcove. Gavroche still held the "cellar rat" in his hand.
"Now," he said, "to roost; I am going to suppress the chandelier."
"What is that, sir?" the elder of the lads asked Gavroche, pointing to the brass grating.
"That," said Gavroche, gravely, "is on account of the rats. Go to roost!"
Still he thought himself obliged to add a few words of instruction for these young creatures, and continued,—
"It comes from the Jardin des Plantes, and is employed to guard ferocious animals. There is a whole store-house full; you have only to climb over a wall, crawl through a window, and pass under a door, and you can have as much as you like."
While speaking he wrapped up the little boy in the blanket, who murmured,—
"Oh, that is nice, it's so warm!"
Gavroche took a glance of satisfaction at the coverlet.
"That also comes from the Jardin des Plantes," he said, "I took it from the monkeys."