Whether Rodolph no longer feared meeting with the two persons whom he had evaded the over-night, or did not care whether he faced them or not, about eleven o'clock in the morning he entered the Rue aux Fêves, and directed his steps towards the tavern of the ogress. Rodolph was still in a workman's dress; but there was a decided neatness in his costume. His new blouse, open on his chest, showed a red woollen shirt, closed by several silver buttons; whilst the collar of another shirt, of white cotton, fell over a black silk cravat, loosely tied around his neck. From under his sky blue velvet cap, with a bright leather peak, several locks of chestnut hair were seen; and his boots, cleaned very brightly, and replacing the heavy iron shoes of the previous evening, showed off to advantage a well-formed foot, which seemed all the smaller from appearing out of a loose pantaloon of olive velveteen. The costume was well calculated to display the elegant shape and carriage of Rodolph, which combined so much grace, suppleness, and power. The ogress was airing herself at her door when Rodolph presented himself. "Your servant, young man; you have come, no doubt, for your change of the twenty francs," she said, with some show of respect, not venturing to forget that the conqueror of the Chourineur had handed her a louis d'or the previous evening. "There is seventeen francs ten sous coming to you; but that's not all. There was somebody here asking after you last night,--a tall gent, well dressed, and with him a young woman in men's clothes. They drank my best wine along with the Chourineur." "Oh, with the Chourineur, did they? And what could they have to say to him?" "When I say they drank, I make a mistake; they only just sipped a drain or so, and--" "But what did they say to the Chourineur?" "Oh, they talked of all manner of things,--of Bras Rouge, and the rain, and fine weather." "Do they know Bras Rouge?" "Not by no means; the Chourineur told 'em all about him, and as how as you--" "Well, well, that is not what I want to know." "You want your change." "Yes, and I want to take Goualeuse to pass the day in the country." "Oh, that's impossible!" "Why?" "Why? Because she may never come back again. Her things belong to me, not including as she owes me a matter of ninety francs as a balance for her board and lodging, for the six weeks as she has lodged with me; and if I didn't know her to be as honest a gal as is, I should never let her go out of sight." "Goualeuse owes you ninety francs?" "Ninety francs ten sous; but what's that to you, my lad? Are you a-going to come 'my lord,' and pay it for her?" "Yes," said Rodolph, throwing five louis on the ogress's bar, "and what's your price for the clothes she wears?" The old hag, amazed, looked at the louis one after the other, with an air of much doubt and mistrust.