his shoulders touching the timbers of the porch, against which
he had been thrust, remained at gaze, following with resentful eye the
fellow who had so rudely used him. Garnache, on the other side, watched
with some wonder the advent of the ingenuous-looking stranger, but as
yet with no suspicion of his intent.

Not until the servant had thrown open the door of the coach and
deposited within the valise he carried, did Garnache stir. Not, indeed,
until the foreigner's foot was on the step preparatory to mounting did
Garnache speak.

"Hi! monsieur," he called to him, "what is your pleasure with my
carriage?"

The stranger turned, and stared at Garnache with a look of wonder that
artfully changed to one of disdainful recognition.

"Ah?" said he, and his eyebrows went up. "The apologetic gentleman! You
said?"

Garnache approached him, followed a step not only by Rabecque, but also
by Monsieur Gaubert, who had sauntered out a second earlier. Behind
them, in the porch, lounged now the foreigner's friend, and behind him
again was to be seen the great face and staring, somewhat startled eyes
of the landlord.

"I asked you, monsieur," said Garnache, already at grips with that quick
temper of his, "what might be your pleasure with my coach?"

"With your coach?" echoed the other, his superciliousness waxing more
and more offensive. "Voyons! on! my apologetic friend, do all things
in Grenoble belong to you?" He turned to the post-boy, who looked on
stolidly. "You are from the Auberge de France, are you not?" quoth he.

"I am, monsieur," replied the man. "This carriage was ordered last night
by a gentleman lodging at the Veau qui Tete?"

"Perfectly," replied the stranger, in a tone of finality. "It was
ordered by me." And he was about to turn away, when Garnache approached
him by yet another step.

"I will ask you to observe, monsieur," said he and for all that his tone
and words were civil, that they were forcedly so was obvious from their
quiver--"I will ask you to observe that the carriage was fetched by my
own man there, who rode hither in it."

The stranger looked him up and down with a curling lip.

"It seems, sir," said he, with a broad sneer, "that you are one of
those impertinent fellows who will be for ever thrusting themselves upon
gentlemen with an eye to such profit as they can make." He produced
a purse and opened it. "Last night it was my supper you usurped. I
suffered that. Now you would do the same by