of
Father d'Aigrigny, whose cry of distress made so deep an impression upon
Morok just at the moment of Jacques Rennepont's death. We have said that
the most absurd and alarming reports were circulating in Paris; not only
did people talk of poison given to the sick or thrown into the public
fountains, but it was also said that wretches had been surprised in the
act of putting arsenic into the pots which are usually kept all ready
on the counters of wine-shops. Goliath was on his way to rejoin Morok,
after delivering a message to Father d'Aigrigny, who was waiting in a
house on the Place de l'Archeveche. He entered a wine-shop in the Rue
de la Calandre, to get some refreshment, and having drunk two glasses
of wine, he proceeded to pay for them. Whilst the woman of the house was
looking for change, Goliath, mechanically and very innocently, rested
his hand on the mouth of one of the pots that happened to be within his
reach.

The tall stature of this man and his repulsive and savage countenance
had already alarmed the good woman, whose fears and prejudices had
previously been roused by the public rumors on the subject of poisoning;
but when she saw Goliath place his hand over the mouth of one of her
pots, she cried out in dismay: "Oh! my gracious! what are you throwing
into that pot?" At these words, spoken in a loud voice, and with the
accent of terror, two or three of the drinkers at one of the tables
rose precipitately, and ran to the counter, while one of them rashly
exclaimed: "It is a poisoner!"

Goliath, not aware of the reports circulated in the neighborhood, did
not at first understand of what he was accused. The men raised their
voices as they called on him to answer the charge; but he, trusting to
his strength, shrugged his shoulders in disdain, and roughly demanded
the change, which the pale and frightened hostess no longer thought of
giving him.

"Rascal!" cried one of the men, with so much violence that several of
the passers-by stopped to listen; "you shall have your change when you
tell us what you threw in the pot!"

"Ha! did he throw anything into the wine-pot?" said one of the passers
by.

"It is, perhaps, a poisoner," said another.

"He ought to be taken up," added a third.

"Yes, yes," cried those in the house--honest people perhaps, but under
the influence of the general panic; "he must be taken up, for he has
been throwing poison into the wine-pots."

The words "He is a poisoner" soon spr