"Well done, Le Doyen! I like Le Doyen!" said the prisoner in the blue
nightcap.

"So do I!" added the turnkey, as he approached the group.

The Skeleton could not repress a movement of angry impatience.

Pique-Vinaigre proceeded:

"Thanks to Le Doyen, who had threatened Cut-in-Half, the cries of the
children were heard no more in the night-time in La Petite Pologne; but
the poor, unhappy little fellows did not suffer the less, for if they
cried no longer when their master beat them, it was because they were
afraid of being more cruelly beaten. As to complaining to Le Doyen, they
had no idea of that. For the fifteen sous which each little fellow was
obliged to bring in, Cut-in-Half lodged, boarded, and clothed them. In
the evening a bit of black bread, as at breakfast,--this was their food.
He never gave them clothes,--that was the way he clothed them; and he
shut them up at night with their animals, on the same straw in a garret,
to which they mounted by a ladder and a trap,--this was the lodging.
When once all had ascended, and the tale of children and animals was
complete, he took away the ladder and locked the trap.

"You may judge of the life and row which these monkeys, guinea-pigs,
foxes, mice, tortoises, marmosettes, and children made all in the dark
in this cock-loft, which was as big as a barn. Cut-in-Half slept in a
room underneath, with his great ape, Gargousse, fastened to the foot of
his bed. When the brute growled, because there was too much noise in the
loft, the beast-shower went up the ladder without any light, and, going
into the loft, laid about him right and left with a heavy whip, without
seeing or counting his blows. As there were always some fifteen
children, and some of the poor dears brought him in twenty sous a day,
Cut-in-Half having defrayed all his outlay, which was by no means
excessive, had left for himself some four or five francs a day, with
which he enjoyed himself, for it must be told that he was one of the
greatest tipplers that ever lived, and was regularly blind drunk once a
day. That was his rule; and he declared that, but for that, he should
have the headache every day. We should add, that out of his gains he
used to buy some sheeps' hearts for Gargousse, who ate raw flesh like a
cannibal. But I see the honourable society are anxious to be introduced
to Gringalet! Here he is, gents!"

"Let's have Gringalet, and I'll go and eat my soup," said the turnkey.

The Skeleton exch