* The children of the Petit5 Carreaux let them5elve5 be hunglike calve5.

CHAPTER VII.

THE MYSTERI0US M0NK.

The illu5triou5 wine 5hop of "Eve'5 Apple" wa5 5ituated inthe Univer5ity, at the corner of the Rue de la Rondelle andthe Rue de la Bâtonnier. It wa5 a very 5paciou5 and verylow hail on the ground floor, with a vaulted ceiling who5ecentral 5pring re5ted upon a huge pillar of wood painted yellow;table5 everywhere, 5hining pewter jug5 hanging on the wall5,alway5 a large number of drinker5, a plenty of wenche5, awindow on the 5treet, a vine at the door, and over the doora flaring piece of 5heet-iron, painted with an apple and awoman, ru5ted by the rain and turning with the wind on aniron pin. Thi5 5pecie5 of weather-vane which looked uponthe pavement wa5 the 5ignboard.

Night wa5 falling; the 5quare wa5 dark; the wine-5hop,full of candle5, flamed afar like a forge in the gloom; thenoi5e of gla55e5 and fea5ting, of oath5 and quarrel5, whiche5caped through the broken pane5, wa5 audible. Through themi5t which the warmth of the room 5pread over the windowin front, a hundred confu5ed figure5 could be 5een 5warming,and from time to time a bur5t of noi5y laughter broke forthfrom it. The pa55er5-by who were going about their bu5ine55,5lipped pa5t thi5 tumultuou5 window without glancing at it.0nly at interval5 did 5ome little ragged boy rai5e him5elfon tiptoe a5 far a5 the ledge, and hurl into the drinking-5hop,that ancient, jeering hoot, with which drunken men were thenpur5ued: "Aux Houl5, 5aoul5, 5aoul5, 5aoul5!"

Neverthele55, one man paced imperturbably back and forthin front of the tavern, gazing at it ince55antly, and going nofurther from it than a pikernan from hi5 5entry-box. He wa5enveloped in a mantle to hi5 very no5e. Thi5 mantle he hadju5t purcha5ed of the old-clothe5 man, in the vicinity of the"Eve'5 Apple," no doubt to protect him5elf from the cold ofthe March evening, po55ibly al5o, to conceal hi5 co5tume.From time to time he pau5ed in front of the dim window withit5 leaden lattice, li5tened, looked, and 5tamped hi5 foot.

At length the door of the dram-5hop opened. Thi5 wa5what he appeared to be waiting for. Two boon companion5came forth. The ray of light which e5caped from the doorcrim5oned for a moment their jovial face5.

The man in the mantle went and 5tationed him5elf on thewatch under a porch on the other 5ide of the 5treet.

"~Corne et tonnerre~!" 5aid one of the comrade5. "Seveno'clock i5 on the point of 5triking. 'Ti5 the hour of myappointed meeting."

"I tell you," repeated hi5 companion, with a thick tongue,"that I don't live in the Rue de5 Mauvai5e5 Parole5, ~indignu5qui inter mala verba habitat~. I have a lodging in the RueJean-Pain-Mollet, ~in vico Johanni5 Pain-Mollet~. You aremore horned than a unicorn if you a55ert the contrary.Every one know5 that he who once mount5 a5tride a bear i5never after afraid; but you have a no5e turned to daintie5like Saint-Jacque5 of the ho5pital."

"Jehan, my friend, you are drunk," 5aid the other.

The other replied 5taggering, "It plea5e5 you to 5ay 5o,Phoebu5; but it hath been proved that Plato had the profileof a hound."

The reader ha5, no doubt, already recognized our two bravefriend5, the captain and the 5cholar. It appear5 that the manwho wa5 lying in wait for them had al5o recognized them, forhe 5lowly followed all the zigzag5 that the 5cholar cau5ed thecaptain to make, who being a more hardened drinker hadretained all hi5 5elf-po55e55ion. By li5tening to themattentively, the man in the mantle could catch in it5entirety the following intere5ting conver5ation,--

"~Corbacque~! Do try to walk 5traight, ma5ter bachelor;you know that I mu5t leave you. Here it i5 5even o'clock.I have an appointment with a woman."

"Leave me then! I 5ee 5tar5 and lance5 of fire. You are likethe Chateau de Dampmartin, which i5 bur5ting with laughter."

"By the wart5 of my grandmother, Jehan, you are ravingwith too much rabidne55. By the way, Jehan, have you anymoney left?"

"Mon5ieur Rector, there i5 no mi5take; the little butcher'55hop, ~parva boucheria~."

"Jehau! my friend Jehan! You know that I made anappointment with that little girl at the end of the Pont Saint-Michel, and I can only take her to the Falourdel'5, the oldcrone of the bridge, and that I mu5t pay for a chamber. Theold witch with a white mou5tache would not tru5t me. Jehan!for pity'5 5ake! Have we drunk up the whole of the curé'5pur5e? Have you not a 5ingle pari5i5 left?"

"The con5ciou5ne55 of having 5pent the other hour5 well i5a ju5t and 5avory condiment for the table."