Maragougnia had not during the whole month left the horrid little hole which he had chosen for his lodgings. Anxious to make a profit by his isolation, he had spent the time in _déshabille_, in order to save his clothes. When Ali entered he found the knight patching his shirt with his pocket-handkerchief. “You come just at the right moment; I wish to speak to you.” “I am listening.” “I hope you will not take amiss what I have to say to you, nor misunderstand my intentions. I think I ought first of all to tell you that I am even more wretched than I look. You will understand, of course, that it is not from a feeling of greed that a man denies himself everything as I do. I should certainly not despise the good things of life if I had the means of getting them. Picture to yourself that my misery is such----” “Excuse me,” said Ali, sharply; “I see that you are going to take an hour in framing a demand which could be expressed in a few seconds. I am quite willing to give up my time to those who pay me, but you are either too poor or too stingy to justify my so doing. You want a Saracen’s head, and you are afraid to ask for it.” “Good heaven! who could have told you that?” “You yourself.” “I? When?” “You talk in your sleep, sir, and are more communicative then than when you are awake. I sleep in the stable close by, and have overheard you. Now that you see I am so well informed as to your wants, let’s settle the matter at once.” Maragougnia became infinitely whiter than his shirt. “I can procure you what you want. But you must understand perfectly that it is not a stock article, so I must have a good price. Fifty pieces of gold down, and fifty more to-morrow on delivery.” Maragougnia fell fainting on the floor. Ali feared for a moment that he had gone too far. The knight’s heart no longer beat, his body was icy cold, his breathing had stopped. “Come, come!” said Ali, “recover yourself. You shall have it for ninety-five pieces, or say ninety, in consideration of my having waited on you for a month.” The Count de Riom did not stir. “Well, we will fix it at eighty-five, but I won’t abate a penny.” The knight opened his right eye. “Come, I am less hard than I look,” said the innkeeper, rubbing Maragougnia’s hands. “I will make you an offer.” The dying man opened his other eye. “Must you have a head? because---I’ll tell you what, I have an order for a head on hand, I’ll let you have the remnant cheap.” The knight closed his eyes again, and sank back motionless. “That doesn’t suit you? Well! say no more about it. I am going to show you how willing I am to serve you by lowering my demands.” The knight’s eyes re-opened, and his heart began to beat again. “Say eighty pieces, but I shan’t come down any lower.” Ali rose to go. Maragougnia gave a heavy sigh, that would have softened the heart of a famished tiger, but made no impression on the innkeeper.