this little
flaw in the ancient man's logic, but carefully suppressed every symptom
of intelligence, lest his feet should have to carry his brains four
leagues farther that night.

When perspiration and suffocation were far advanced, they brought in
the table-cloths; but oh, so brown, so dirty, and so coarse; they seemed
like sacks that had been worn out in agriculture and come down to this,
or like shreads from the mainsail of some worn-out ship. The Hollander,
who had never seen such linen even in nightmare, uttered a faint cry.

"What is to do?" inquired a traveller. Gerard pointed ruefully to
the dirty sackcloth. The other looked at it with lack lustre eye, and
comprehended nought.

A Burgundian soldier with his arbalest at his back came peeping over
Gerard's shoulder, and seeing what was amiss, laughed so loud that the
room rang again, then slapped him on the back and cried, "Courage! le
diable est mort."

Gerard stared: he doubted alike the good tidings and their
relevancy; but the tones were so hearty and the arbalestrier's face,
notwithstanding a formidable beard, was so gay and genial, that he
smiled, and after a pause said drily, "Il a bien faite avec l'eau et
linge du pays on allait le noircir a ne se reconnaitre plus."

"Tiens, tiens!" cried the soldier, "v'la qui parle le Francais peu s'en
faut," and he seated himself by Gerard, and in a moment was talking
volubly of war, women, and pillage, interlarding his discourse with
curious oaths, at which Gerard drew away from him more or less.

Presently in came the grisly servant, and counted them all on his
fingers superciliously, like Abraham telling sheep; then went out again,
and returned with a deal trencher and deal spoon to each.

Then there was an interval. Then he brought them a long mug apiece made
of glass, and frowned. By-and-by he stalked gloomily in with a hunch of
bread apiece, and exit with an injured air. Expectation thus raised,
the guests sat for nearly an hour balancing the wooden spoons, and with
their own knives whittling the bread. Eventually, when hope was extinct,
patience worn out, and hunger exhausted, a huge vessel was brought
in with pomp, the lid was removed, a cloud of steam rolled forth, and
behold some thin broth with square pieces of bread floating. This,
though not agreeable to the mind, served to distend the body. Slices of
Strasbourg ham followed, and pieces of salt fish, both so highly salted
that Gerard could hardly s