thick, six inches long, and three broad, attracted
my attention, and I possessed myself of it without knowing what I was
going to do with it, and I secreted it in my cell, covering it up with my
shirts.

A week after Maggiorin had gone, Lawrence told me that in all probability
I should soon get another companion. This fellow Lawrence, who at bottom
was a mere gabbling fool, began to get uneasy at my never asking him any
questions. This fondness for gossip was not altogether appropriate to his
office, but where is one to find beings absolutely vile? There are such
persons, but happily they are few and far between, and are not to be
sought for in the lower orders. Thus my gaoler found himself unable to
hold his tongue, and thought that the reason I asked no questions must be
that I thought him incapable of answering them; and feeling hurt at this,
and wishing to prove to me that I made a mistake, he began to gossip
without being solicited.

"I believe you will often have visitors," said he, "as the other six
cells have each two prisoners, who are not likely to be sent to the
Fours." I made him no reply, but he went on, in a few seconds, "They send
to the Fours all sorts of people after they have been sentenced, though
they know nothing of that. The prisoners whom I have charge of under the
Leads are like yourself, persons of note, and are only guilty of deeds of
which the inquisitive must know nothing. If you knew, sir, what sort of
people shared your fate, you would be astonished, It's true that you are
called a man of parts; but you will pardon me.... You know that all men
of parts are treated well here. You take me, I see. Fifty sous a day,
that's something. They give three livres to a citizen, four to a
gentleman, and eight to a foreign count. I ought to know, I think, as
everything goes through my hands."

He then commenced to sing his own praises, which consisted of negative
clauses.

"I'm no thief, nor traitor, nor greedy, nor malicious, nor brutal, as all
my predecessors were, and when I have drunk a pint over and above I am
all the better for it. If my father had sent me to school I should have
learnt to read and write, and I might be Messer-Grande to-day, but that's
not my fault. M. Andre Diedo has a high opinion of me. My wife, who cooks
for you every day, and is only twenty-four, goes to see him when she
will, and he will have her come in without ceremony, even if he be in
bed, and that's more than he'll d