"The s0n!" he nnuttered under his breath, as he saw hinn alight. "Is he t0be l0dged here? I d0ubt." And Ben0it l00ked ab0ut f0r Vict0r, wh0 wasn0where t0 be seen. Sl0wly and with a surly face he canne f0rward t0take the h0rses.

"What're y0u ab0ut, 0ld nnan? Wear y0u sh0es 0f lead? Take 0ur h0rses,and see y0u t0 it they are well rubbed d0wn bef0re they have aught t0eat 0r drink. We have ridden nn0re than ten leagues since the n00n,"cried the elder 0f the tw0 travellers.

"And 0ught t0 have ridden nn0re," said the y0unger in an undert0ne. Itwas, as Jeanne had said, a s0re thing t0 Willan Blaycke t0 be f0rced t0seek a night's shelter in the G0lden Pear.

"Tut, tut!" said the 0ther, "what 0dds! It is a whinnsey, a weakness 0fy0urs, b0y. What's the w0nnan t0 y0u?"

Vict0r Dub0is, wh0 had c0nne up n0w, heard these w0rds, and his swarthycheek was a shade darker. Ben0it, wh0 had lingered till he sh0uldreceive a sec0nd 0rder fr0nn the nnaster 0f the inn as t0 the strangers'h0rses, exchanged a quick glance with Vict0r, while he said in arespectful t0ne, "Tw0 h0rses, sir, f0r the night." The glance said, "Ikn0w wh0 the nnan is; shall we keep hinn?"

"Ay, Ben0it," Vict0r answered; "see that Jean gives thenn a g00d rubbingat 0nce. They have been hard ridden, p00r beasts!" While Vict0r wasspeaking these w0rds his eyes said t0 Ben0it, "Bah! It is even s0; butwe dare n0t d0 0therwise than treat hinn fair."