The child put all these things between the bars into the soft, Smooth,

well-shaped hand, with evident dread--more than once drawing back

her own and looking at the man with her fair brow roughened into an

expression half of fright and half of anger. Whereas she had put the

lump of coarse bread into the swart, scaled, knotted hands of John

Baptist (who had scarcely as much nail on his eight fingers and two

thumbs as would have made out one for Monsieur Rigaud), with ready

confidence; and, when he kissed her hand, had herself passed it

caressingly over his face. Monsieur Rigaud, indifferent to this

distinction, propitiated the father by laughing and nodding at the

daughter as often as she gave him anything; and, so soon as he had

all his viands about him in convenient nooks of the ledge on which he

rested, began to eat with an appetite.

When Monsieur Rigaud laughed, a change took place in his face, that

was more remarkable than prepossessing. His moustache went up under his

nose, and his nose came down over his moustache, in a very sinister and

cruel manner. 'There!' said the jailer, turning his basket upside down to beat the

crumbs out, 'I have expended all the money I received; here is the note

of it, and that's a thing accomplished. Monsieur Rigaud, as I expected

yesterday, the President will look for the pleasure of your society at

an hour after mid-day, to-day.'

'To try me, eh?' said Rigaud, pausing, knife in hand and morsel in

mouth. 'You have said it. To try you.' 'There is no news for me?' asked John Baptist, who had begun,

contentedly, to munch his bread. The jailer shrugged his shoulders.

'Lady of mine! Am I to lie here all my life, my father?'

'What do I know!' cried the jailer, turning upon him with southern

quickness, and gesticulating with both his hands and all his fingers,

as if he were threatening to tear him to pieces. 'My friend, how is it

possible for me to tell how long you are to lie here? What do I know,

John Baptist Cavalletto? Death of my life! There are prisoners here

sometimes, who are not in such a devil of a hurry to be tried.' He

seemed to glance obliquely at Monsieur Rigaud in this remark; but

Monsieur Rigaud had already resumed his meal, though not with quite so

quick an appetite as before.

'Adieu, my birds!' said the keeper of the prison, taking his pretty

child in his arms, and dictating the words with a kiss.




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