The plate-layer appeared in no wise unwilling to postpone for a few moments his tiring and chilly underground patrol; he put down his pick before answering. "Well, that's not surprising, is it? People who are rich enough to travel first-class always come by the express which gets to Brives at 2.50 A.M." "I see," said François Paul; "that's reasonable: and more practical for travellers to Brives or Cahors. But what about the people who want to get out at Gourdon, or Souillac, or Verrières, or any of the small stations where the express doesn't stop?" "I don't know," said the plate-layer; "but I suppose they have to get out at Brives or Cahors and drive, or else travel by the day trains, which are fast to Brives and slow afterwards." François Paul did not press the matter. He lit a pipe and breathed upon his benumbed fingers. "Hard times, these, and no mistake!" The plate-layer seemed sorry for him. "I don't suppose you're an independent gentleman, but why don't you try to get taken on here?" he suggested. "They want hands here." "Oh, do they?" "That's the fact; this is the foreman coming along now: would you like me to speak to him for you?" "No hurry," replied François Paul. "'Course, I'm not saying no, but I should like to see what sort of work it is they're doing here: it might not suit me; I shall still have time to get a couple of words with him," and with his eyes on the ground the tramp slowly walked along the embankment away from the plate-layer. The foreman met and passed him, and came up to the plate-layer at the mouth of the tunnel. "Well, Michu, how goes it with you? Still got the old complaint?" "Middling, boss," the worthy fellow answered: "just keeping up, you know. And how's yourself? And the work? When shall you finish? I don't know if you know it, but these trains stopping regularly in my section give me an extra lot of work." "How's that?" the foreman enquired in surprise. "The engine drivers take advantage of the stop to empty their ash-pans, and they leave a great heap of mess there in my tunnel, which I'm obliged to clear away. In the ordinary way they dump it somewhere else: where, I don't know, but not in my tunnel, and that's all I care about." The foreman laughed. "You're a good 'un, Michu! If I were you I would ask the Company to give me another man or two." "And do you suppose the Company would?" Michu retorted. "By the way, that poor devil who is going along there, shivering with cold and hunger, was grumbling to me just now, and I advised him to ask you to take him on. What do you think he said? Why, that he would have a look at the work first, and off he went."