第28章

’Hush!What’sthematter？Keepquiet!It’sI。Youknowme？’

criedtheother，inasuppressedvoice。

ButJohnBaptist，widelystaring，mutteringanumberofinvocationsandejaculations，tremblinglybackingintoacorner，slippingonhistrousers，andtyinghiscoatbythetwosleevesroundhisneck，manifestedanunmistakabledesiretoescapebythedoorratherthanrenewtheacquaintance。Seeingthis，hisoldprisoncomradefellbackuponthedoor，andsethisshouldersagainstit。

’Cavalletto!Wake，boy!Rubyoureyesandlookatme。Notthenameyouusedtocallme——don’tusethat——Lagnier，sayLagnier!’

JohnBaptist，staringathimwitheyesopenedtotheirutmostwidth，madeanumberofthosenational，backhandedshakesoftherightforefingerintheair，asifhewereresolvedonnegativingbeforehandeverythingthattheothercouldpossiblyadvanceduringthewholetermofhislife。

’Cavalletto!Givemeyourhand。YouknowLagnier，thegentleman。

Touchthehandofagentleman!’

Submittinghimselftotheoldtoneofcondescendingauthority，JohnBaptist，notatallsteadyonhislegsasyet，advancedandputhishandinhispatron’s。MonsieurLagnierlaughed；andhavinggivenitasqueeze，tosseditupandletitgo。

’Thenyouwere——’falteredJohnBaptist。

’Notshaved？No。Seehere!’criedLagnier，givinghisheadatwirl；’astightonasyourown。’

JohnBaptist，withaslightshiver，lookedallroundtheroomasiftorecallwherehewas。Hispatrontookthatopportunityofturningthekeyinthedoor，andthensatdownuponhisbed。

’Look!’hesaid，holdinguphisshoesandgaiters。’That’sapoortrimforagentleman，you’llsay。Nomatter，youshallseehowSoonI’llmendit。Comeandsitdown。Takeyouroldplace!’

JohnBaptist，lookinganythingbutreassured，satdownontheflooratthebedside，keepinghiseyesuponhispatronallthetime。

’That’swell!’criedLagnier。’Nowwemightbeintheoldinfernalholeagain，hey？Howlonghaveyoubeenout？’

’Twodaysafteryou，mymaster。’

’Howdoyoucomehere？’

’Iwascautionednottostaythere，andsoIleftthetownatonce，andsincethenIhavechangedabout。IhavebeendoingoddsandendsatAvignon，atPontEsprit，atLyons；upontheRhone，upontheSaone。’Ashespoke，herapidlymappedtheplacesoutwithhissunburnthanduponthefloor。

’Andwhereareyougoing？’

’Going，mymaster？’

’Ay!’

JohnBaptistseemedtodesiretoevadethequestionwithoutknowinghow。’ByBacchus!’hesaidatlast，asifhewereforcedtotheadmission，’IhavesometimeshadathoughtofgoingtoParis，andperhapstoEngland。’

’Cavalletto。Thisisinconfidence。IalsoamgoingtoParisandperhapstoEngland。We’llgotogether。’

Thelittlemannoddedhishead，andshowedhisteeth；andyetseemednotquiteconvincedthatitwasasurpassinglydesirablearrangement。

’We’llgotogether，’repeatedLagnier。’YoushallseehowsoonI

willforcemyselftoberecognisedasagentleman，andyoushallprofitbyit。Itisagreed？Areweone？’

’Oh，surely，surely!’saidthelittleman。

’ThenyoushallhearbeforeIsleep——andinsixwords，forIwantsleep——howIappearbeforeyou，I，Lagnier。Rememberthat。Nottheother。’

’Altro，altro!NotRi——’BeforeJohnBaptistcouldfinishthename，hiscomradehadgothishandunderhischinandfiercelyshutuphismouth。

’Death!whatareyoudoing？Doyouwantmetobetrampleduponandstoned？DoYOUwanttobetrampleduponandstoned？Youwouldbe。Youdon’timaginethattheywouldsetuponme，andletmyprisonchumgo？Don’tthinkit!’

Therewasanexpressioninhisfaceashereleasedhisgripofhisfriend’sjaw，fromwhichhisfriendinferredthatifthecour