pear very good sort of fellows! Some of them
are very amusing. The most ferocious are collected in what is called the
Fosse aux Lions. Ah, my good fellow, what hang-dog-looking fellows there
are amongst them. There's one they call the Skeleton,--I never saw such
a creature."

"What a singular name!"

"He is so thin, or rather bare of flesh, that this is the nickname which
has been given to him; he is really frightful. He is, besides, director
of his ward, and, moreover, an infernal villain. He has just left the
galleys, and went directly to murder and assassination. But his last
murder was really horrible, as he knew he should be condemned to death
without chance of remission; but he laughs at it."

"What a scoundrel!"

"All the prisoners admire and tremble before him. I got into his good
graces at once by offering him some cigars, and so he made a friend of
me at once, and offered to teach me slang; and I have made considerable
progress."

"Oh, what an idea!--my general learning slang!"

"I amuse myself as much as I can, and all these fellows adore me. I am
not proud like a young fellow they call Germain, who gives himself the
airs of a lord."

"But he must be delighted at meeting with such a gentleman as you, even
if he is disgusted with the others."

"Why, really, he did not seem even to notice that I was there; but, if
he had, I should have taken care how I took any notice of him. He is the
_bete noire_ of the whole prison, and some day or other they'll play him
a slippery trick; and, _pardieu!_ I have no wish to come in for my share
of what may befall him."

"You're right."

"It would interfere with my pleasures, for my walk with the prisoners is
really a pleasure to me; only these ruffians have no great opinion of me
morally. You see, my accusation of a simple breach of trust is
contemptible in the eyes of these out-and-outers; and they look on me as
a nobody."

"Why, really, with such criminals you are--"

"A mere chicken, my dear fellow. But do not forget my commissions."

"Make your mind easy, general. First, Mlle. Alexandrine; second, the
fish-pie and basket of wine; third, the old cognac of 1817, the ground
coffee, and the eider-down quilt; you shall have it all. Is there
anything else?"

"Yes, I forgot. You know the address of M. Badinot?"

"The agent? Yes."

"Well, be so kind as to call on him, and say that I rely on his
friendship to find me a barrister such as my case requires, and t