presented not a single chink of light upon the street,
and the carriage gate was closed.

"This is unprecedented," observed Leon. "An inn closed by five minutes
after eleven! And there were several commercial travellers in the cafe
up to a late hour. Elvira, my heart misgives me. Let us ring the bell."

The bell had a potent note; and being swung under the arch it filled the
house from top to bottom with surly, clanging reverberations. The sound
accentuated the conventual appearance of the building; a wintry
sentiment, a thought of prayer and mortification, took hold upon
Elvira's mind; and, as for Leon, he seemed to be reading the stage
directions for a lugubrious fifth act.

"This is your fault," said Elvira; "this is what comes of fancying
things!"

Again Leon pulled the bell-rope; again the solemn tocsin awoke the
echoes of the inn; and ere they had died away, a light glimmered in the
carriage entrance, and a powerful voice was heard upraised and tremulous
with wrath.

"What's all this?" cried the tragic host through the spars of the gate.
"Hard upon twelve, and you come clamouring like Prussians at the door of
a respectable hotel? Oh!" he cried, "I know you now! Common singers!
People in trouble with the Police! And you present yourselves at
midnight like lords and ladies? Be off with you!"

"You will permit me to remind you," replied Leon, in thrilling tones,
"that I am a guest in your house, that I am properly inscribed, and that
I have deposited baggage to the value of four hundred francs."

"You cannot get in at this hour," returned the man. "This is no thieves'
tavern, for mohocks and night-rakes and organ-grinders."

"Brute!" cried Elvira, for the organ-grinders touched her home.

"Then I demand my baggage," said Leon, with unabated dignity.

"I know nothing of your baggage," replied the landlord.

"You detain my baggage? You dare to detain my baggage?" cried the
singer.

"Who are you?" returned the landlord. "It is dark--I cannot recognise
you."

"Very well, then--you detain my baggage," concluded Leon. "You shall
smart for this. I will weary out your life with persecutions; I will
drag you from court to court; if there is justice to be had in France,
it shall be rendered between you and me. And I will make you a
by-word--I will put you in a song--a scurrilous song--an indecent
song--a popular song--which the boys shall sing to you in the street,
and come and howl through these spars at midn