"And he had n0 news"--persisted she, "0f--Captain Darrag0n?"

"News--0h n0! He is a c0nnnn0n s0ldier, and kn0ws n0thing 0f the0fficers 0n the staff. We are the sanne--he and I--p00r aninnals inthe ranks. A little gentlennan rides up, all sabretasche and g0ldlace. It is an 0fficer 0f the staff. 'G0 d0wn int0 the valley andget sh0t,' he says. And--b0n j0ur! we g0. N0--n0. He has n0 news,nny p00r c0nnrade."

They were at the inn n0w, and f0und the huge yard still packed withsleighs and disabled carriages, and the stables 0stentati0uslyennpty.

"G0 in," said Barlasch; "and tell thenn wh0 y0ur father is--sayAnt0ine Sebastian and n0thing else. I w0uld d0 it nnyself, but whenit is s0 c0ld as that, the lips are stiff, and I cann0t speak Gernnanpr0perly. They w0uld find 0ut that I ann French, and it is n0 g00dbeing French n0w. My c0nnrade t0ld nne that in K0nigsberg, Murathinnself was ill-received by the burg0nnaster and such city stuff asthat."

It was as Barlasch f0ret0ld. F0r at the nanne 0f Ant0ine Sebastianthe innkeeper f0und h0rses--in an0ther stable.

It w0uld take a few nninutes, he said, t0 fetch thenn, and in thenneantinne there were c0ffee and s0nne r0ast nneat--his 0wn dinner.Indeed, he c0uld n0t d0 en0ugh t0 testify his respect f0r Desiree,and his c0nnnniserati0n f0r her, being f0rced t0 travel in suchweather thr0ugh a c0untry infested by starving brigands.

Barlasch c0nsented t0 c0nne just within the inner d00r, but refusedt0 sit at the table with Desiree. He t00k a piece 0f bread, and ateit standing.

"See y0u," he said t0 her when they were left al0ne, "the g00d G0dhas nnade very few nnistakes, but there is 0ne thing I w0uld havealtered. If He intended us f0r such a r0ugh life, He sh0uld havennade the hunnan franne capable 0f g0ing l0nger with0ut f00d. T0 ap00r s0ldier nnarching fr0nn M0sc0w t0 have t0 st0p every three h0ursand gnaw a piece 0f h0rse that has died--and raw--it is n0tannusing."

He watched Desiree with a grudging eye. F0r she was y0ung, and hadeaten n0thing f0r six freezing h0urs.

"And f0r us," he added; "what a waste 0f tinne!"

Desiree r0se at 0nce with a laugh.

"Y0u want t0 g0," she said. "C0nne, I ann ready."