ly at the side of
the giantess, who tumbled herself off the chariot and rushed upon
Fanfar. Schwann appeared at the door at this moment.

"Dinner is ready, good people," he said, soothingly.

Robeccal said a few words in a whisper to the giantess, who shrugged her
huge shoulders and made at once to the dining-room. Gudel held out his
arms to his daughter.

"Jump, child!" he said.

And the girl obeyed. The father kissed her tenderly, for the two loved
each other very much.

"Do you mean to stay there forever, Fanfar?" was Gudel's next remark.

Fanfar was the person to whom Caillette had addressed her smiles. With a
laugh he swung himself down, and hung by his wrists a moment.

"Good boy!" said Gudel. "You mean to keep yourself in practice, I see."

Robeccal, with his hands in his pockets, lounged into the kitchen, and
stood watching the preparations for dinner. La Roulante sat as
motionless as the Sphynx in the Desert. Gudel said to her, respectfully:

"Are you coming?"

The woman turned her eyes slowly upon him, and then, with a sniff of
disdain, called for Robeccal, who heard the stentorian shout, but did
not care to be disturbed in his contemplation of the spit on which the
fowls were roasting.

CHAPTER XIII.

MISCHIEF.

While these people were repairing the fatigues of their journey, a door
opened very softly at the end of the room. But Schwann heard it. This
door had access to the stairs which led to the upper floor. He instantly
hastened toward the person, who stood half concealed.

This man was about forty, small, and wearing a brown cloth coat, braided
and trimmed with Astrachan. His vest was blue, as was a neckerchief. He
wore straps and spurs--a costume, in fact, in the last mode of 1825--and
yet, no human being looked less like a dandy. His feet were huge, his
hands ugly and bony. His face expressed timidity and hypocrisy. He took
off his hat as Schwann approached. The stranger's eyes were half closed,
as if the light from the long windows pained them--in reality, he was
examining each face at the table.

"You want breakfast, sir, I presume?" asked the innkeeper.

"Yes," said the other, "yes, yes," but he did not seem to have
understood the question, although he took a seat at one of the tables.

"Give me some brandy!" he said. "I am expecting some one, and when he
comes you will serve our breakfast up-stairs."

"Very good, sir!" And Schwann walked away. "He is the intendant of so