nd revealed three or four large, yellow, and decayed
fangs.

Tortillard, clothed in a blouse with a leathern belt, standing on one
leg, leaned on the Chouette's arm to keep himself upright. The bad
expression and cunning look of this deformed imp, with a complexion as
sallow as his hair, betokened at this moment his disposition--half
fiend, half monkey. The shadow cast from the declivity of the ravine
increased the horrid _tout ensemble_ of the scene, which the increasing
darkness half hid.

"Promise me,--oh, promise me--at least, not to forsake me!" repeated
the Schoolmaster, frightened by the silence of the Chouette and
Tortillard, who were enjoying his dismay. "Are you not here?" added the
murderer, leaning forward to listen, and advancing his arms
mechanically.

"Yes, my man, we are here; don't be frightened. Forsake you! leave my
love! the man of my heart! No, I'd sooner be 'scragged'! Once for all, I
will tell you why I will not forsake you. Listen, and profit. I have
always liked to have some one in my grip--beast or Christian. Before I
had Pegriotte (oh! that the 'old one' would return her to my clutch! for
I have still my idea of scaling off her beauty with my bottle of
vitriol)--before Pegriotte's turn, I had a brat who froze to death under
my care. For that little job, I got six years in the 'Stone Jug.' Then I
used to have little birds, which I used to tame, and then pluck 'em
alive. Ha! ha! but that was troublesome work, for they did not last
long. When I left the 'Jug,' the Goualeuse came to hand; but the little
brat ran away before I had had half my fun out of her carcass. Well,
then I had a dog, who had his little troubles as well as she had; and I
cut off one of his hind feet and one of his four feet; and you never saw
such a rum beggar as I made of him; I almost burst my sides with
laughing at him!"

"I must serve a dog I know of, who bit me one day, in the same way,"
said the promising Master Tortillard.

"When I fell in again with you, my darling," continued the Chouette, "I
was trying what I could do that was miserable with a cat. Well, now, at
this moment, you, old boy, shall be my cat, my dog, my bird, my
Pegriotte; you shall be anything to worry (_bete de souffrance_). Do you
understand, my love? Instead of having a bird or a child to make
miserable, I shall have, as it were, a wolf or a tiger. I think that's
rather a bright idea; isn't it?"

"Hag! devil!" cried the Schoolmaster, rising i