I recognized the voice of my companion, and I at once recovered my courage. The inn-keeper, irritated because no light was brought, went up himself to Clairette’s room, where she was still striking the flint without using tinder--an infallible method of striking fire without striking a light. At last our host came down again with two lighted candles; he was on the point of entering his room, when he saw me walking about the corridor, in my shirt, with solemn tread, carrying my trousers under my arm, as I had not had time to put them on. “What does this mean?” he demanded, gazing at me with an expression of surprise mingled with alarm; “what are you doing here, monsieur? who are you looking for, at this time of night? Was it you who came into my room and woke me up, with a dull noise that sounded like a drum, and filled the room with an infernal smell? Answer me!” I was careful not to reply and continued to walk slowly along the corridor; the inn-keeper followed me with his two candles, and Pierre and Jérôme, the two men-servants, attracted by the noise, awaited with curiosity the upshot of the adventure. At last a groan came from the inn-keeper’s bedroom. “Ah! there’s someone in my room!” he cried, turning pale; “come here, you fellows, and go on ahead.” He pushed Pierre and Jérôme before him, and they entered the room where my companion was, leaving me in the corridor. Soon I heard our host’s voice, who seemed very wroth with Master Graograicus. I concluded that it was time to make peace between them, and with that end in view I stalked solemnly into the room where they were quarrelling. At my appearance the hubbub ceased. “Hush! silence! attention!” said my companion in a low tone; “it’s Tatouos, in a somnambulistic state. I will put him in communication with myself, and you’ll see that he will tell you all I have done to-night.” The little hunchback came to me at once. He passed his hands in front of my face several times, put his forefinger on the end of my nose, in order, he said, to establish communication, and began his questions: “What have I had to-night?” “Pains in the stomach.” “And then?” “Nausea.” “And then?” “Colic.” “There! what did I tell you just now?” cried my companion, turning toward the stupefied audience. “But let’s go on; this is nothing; I’ll wager that he will tell you everything I did.--What caused my trouble?” “Indigestion.” “And the indigestion?” “From eating too much supper.” “Surprising! prodigious!” said the host, crowding between his two servants. “Hush!” said my companion; “don’t break the spell.--Then what did I do?” “You got up.” “With what purpose?” “With the purpose of going to a certain place.” “Did I take a light?” “No, you had none.” “How did I walk?” “Feeling your way.” “You hear him, messieurs; I felt my way because I had no light; he doesn’t make a mistake as to a single detail.--Let’s go on: where did I go?”