from the hands to the face, I saw
with a thrill of horror that the ears were set low down and far back on
the head, and that the eyes gleamed with the sinister glitter of the
wolf.

"Still, I must take my chance--the woman or the wood--it had to be one
of the two. 'If you'll step inside, monsieur,' she said, 'I'll see what
can be done for you. We have only recently come here, and the house is
anyhow at present. Still, if you don't mind roughing it a little, we can
let you have a bed, and you can rely upon me that it is clean and
well-aired.' I followed her eagerly, and she led me down a narrow
passage into a big room with a low ceiling, traversed with a ponderous
oak beam, blackened with the smoke of endless peat fires.

"Before the blazing faggots on the hearth sat a burly-looking individual
in a blue blouse. On our arrival he arose, and as his huge form towered
above me, I thought I had never seen anyone quite so hideous, nor so
utterly unlike the orthodox Frenchman. Obeying his injunction--for I can
scarcely call it an invitation--to sit down, I took a seat by the fire,
and warming my half-frozen limbs, waited impatiently whilst the woman
made up my bed and prepared supper.

"The storm had now reached cyclonic dimensions, and under its stupendous
fury the whole house--stoutly built though it was--swayed on its
foundations. The howling of the wind in the rude, old-fashioned chimney
and along the passage, and the frenzied beating of the snow against the
diamond window-panes, deadened all other noises, and rendered any
attempt at conversation absolutely abortive. So I ate my meal in
silence, pretending not to notice the subtle interchange of glances that
constantly took place between the strangely assorted pair. Whether they
were husband and wife, what the man did for a living, were questions
that continually occurred to me, and I found my eyes incessantly
wandering to the numerous packing-cases, piles of carpets, casks and
other articles, which corroborated the woman's statement that they had
but recently 'moved in.' Once I attempted to empty the coffee (which was
black and peculiarly bitter) under the table, but had to desist, as I
saw the man's devilish eyes fixed searchingly on me. I then pushed aside
the cup, and on the woman asking if it was not to my liking, I shouted
out that I was not in the least thirsty. After this incident the covert
looks became more numerous, and my suspicions increased accordingly.

"