Racquin was dragged out of his bed, just as he was, like a skinned rabbit; and he looked anything but pretty, with rolls of fat all over his pink body, even on his forehead and round his eyes. We soon found that he knew what we were after, and was equal to the situation. He flashed an angry glare at us out of his sharp gray eyes, under their puffy eyelids; but he controlled himself at once, and with an authoritative air, inquired by what right we thus invaded the precincts of the law. I answered that we only wanted to drag him out of bed. This made him furiously angry, but Saulsoy said to him, “Master Racquin, you are not the one to threaten us; the boot is on the other leg now. We are here to accuse you, so defend yourself if you can.” He changed his tune at once. “Fellow-citizens,” said he blandly, “what would you have of me? What complaint do you bring? I have stayed in the town to protect you at the risk of my own life, when all my brother officials fled before the plague and the riots. I alone have remained faithful at my post. The evils which have come upon you are surely none of my causing, so what fault can any of you find with me?” “You are the physician of the town, Racquin,” said I, “and as the proverb says, ‘Clever doctors make bad sores.’--You have fattened on the plague and the riots, you and your creatures; you are in league with the robbers to burn down our houses, which you ought to protect; and instead of resisting the mobs, you have made yourself a leader among them. We do not know if you have thus betrayed us through fear or greed, but you shall choose yourself what label we are to hang about your neck: ‘This is one who sold his town for thirty pieces of silver.’ Prices are higher than they were in Iscariot’s day, so I will put instead, ‘An Alderman who saved his own skin at the expense of his fellow-citizens.’” “Breugnon,” said he, with an ugly look, “I have only done my duty in burning infected dwellings according to law.” “Yes, and when a man is not one of your adherents you mark his house with a cross, and call it infected. And how about letting the mob in to pillage? That is a good way to stop the spread of the plague, isn’t it?” “I was unable to prevent it, in all cases, and besides, if these ruffians catch the pest while they are looting the houses, so much the better, we are rid of two nuisances at once.” “A splendid idea. The robbers kill the plague, and the plague kills the robbers, and the Alderman inherits what remains of the town! It is as I said just now, the clever doctor survives both disease and patient. Now I tell you what it is, Master Racquin, your treatment is too high-priced for us. We will take care of ourselves from this time onward, and by way of salary for former services, we will give you----”