he more melancholy grew Mattia. As I had
assured him that we should not be parted I wondered why he should be sad
now. Finally, when we reached the gates of Paris, he told me how great
was his fear of Garofoli, and that if he saw him he knew that he would
take him again.

"You know how afraid you are of Barberin, so you can imagine how I fear
Garofoli. If he's out of prison he'll be sure to catch me. Oh, my poor
head; how he used to bang it! And then he will part us; of course he'd
like to have you as one of his pupils, but he could not force you to
stay, but he has a right to me. He's my uncle."

I had not thought of Garofoli. I arranged with Mattia that I should go
to the various places that Mother Barberin had mentioned as to where I
might find Barberin. Then I would go to the Rue Mouffetard and after
that he should meet me at seven o'clock outside the Notre Dame
Cathedral.

We parted as though we were never going to meet again. Mattia went in
one direction, I in another. I had written down on paper the names of
the places where Barberin had lived before. I went first to one place,
then to another. At one lodging house they told me that he had lived
there four years ago but that he had not been there since. The landlord
told me that he'd like to catch the rogue, for he owed him one week's
rent. I grew very despondent. There was only one place left for me to
inquire; that was at a restaurant. The man who kept the place said that
he had not seen him for a very long time, but one of the customers
sitting eating at a table called out that he had been living at the
Hotel du Cantal of late.

Before going to the Hotel du Cantal I went to Garofoli's place to see if
I could find out something about him so that I could take back some news
to poor Mattia. When I reached the yard I saw, as on my first visit, the
same old man hanging up dirty rags outside the door.

"Has Garofoli returned?" I asked.

The old man looked at me without replying, then began to cough. I could
see that he would not tell me anything unless I let him know that _I_
knew all about Garofoli.

"You don't mean to say he is still in prison?" I exclaimed. "Why, I
thought he'd got out long ago."

"No, he's got another three months yet."

Garofoli three more months in prison! Mattia could breathe. I left the
horrible yard as quickly as possible and hurried off to the Hotel du
Cantal. I was full of hope and joy and quite disposed to think kindly of
Bar