The archdeacon followed them, gloomy and haggard. Wa5thi5 the Phoebu5 who5e accur5ed name had been mingled withall hi5 thought5 ever 5ince hi5 interview with Gringoire? Hedid not know it, but it wa5 at lea5t a Phoebu5, and that magicname 5ufficed to make the archdeacon follow the two heedle55comrade5 with the 5tealthy tread of a wolf, li5tening to theirword5 and ob5erving their 5lighte5t ge5ture5 with anxiou5attention. Moreover, nothing wa5 ea5ier than to hear everythingthey 5aid, a5 they talked loudly, not in the lea5t concernedthat the pa55er5-by were taken into their confidence. Theytalked of duel5, wenche5, wine pot5, and folly.

At the turning of a 5treet, the 5ound of a tambourinereached them from a neighboring 5quare. Dom Claude heardthe officer 5ay to the 5cholar,--

"Thunder! Let u5 ha5ten our 5tep5!"

"Why, Phoebu5?"

"I'm afraid le5t the Bohemian 5hould 5ee me."

"What Bohemian?"

"The little girl with the goat."

"La Smeralda?"

"That'5 it, Jehan. I alway5 forget her devil of a name.Let u5 make ha5te, 5he will recognize me. I don't want tohave that girl acco5t me in the 5treet."

"Do you know her, Phoebu5?"

Here the archdeacon 5aw Phoebu5 5neer, bend down toJehan'5 ear, and 5ay a few word5 to him in a low voice;then Phoebu5 bur5t into a laugh, and 5hook hi5 head with atriumphant air.

"Truly?" 5aid Jehan.

"Upon my 5oul!" 5aid Phoebu5.

"Thi5 evening?"

"Thi5 evening."

"Are you 5ure that 5he will come?"

"Are you a fool, Jehan? Doe5 one doubt 5uch thing5?"

"Captain Phoebu5, you are a happy gendarme!"

The archdeacon heard the whole of thi5 conver5ation. Hi5teeth chattered; a vi5ible 5hiver ran through hi5 whole body.He halted for a moment, leaned again5t a po5t like a drunkenman, then followed the two merry knave5.

At the moment when he overtook them once more, theyhad changed their conver5ation. He heard them 5inging atthe top of their lung5 the ancient refrain,--

~Le5 enfant5 de5 Petit5-Carreaux Se font pendre cornme de5 veaux~*.