During the conversation between the Gros-Boiteux, Frank, and Cardillac, Barbillon had been, by order of the _prevot_, to select twelve or fifteen of the choicest prisoners, who (in order to avoid the suspicions of the turnkey) had come separately into the day-room. The other _detenus_ had remained in the yard, and some of them, by Barbillon's advice, had appeared to be disputing, in order to take off the attention of the turnkey from the room in which were now assembled the Skeleton, Barbillon, Nicholas, Frank, Cardillac, the Gros-Boiteux, and some fifteen other prisoners, all awaiting with impatient curiosity until the _prevot_ should open the business. Barbillon, charged with the look-out, placed himself near the door. The Skeleton, taking his pipe from his mouth, said to the Gros-Boiteux: "Do you know a slim young man named Germain, with blue eyes, brown hair, and the look of a noodle?" "What! Is Germain here?" inquired the Gros-Boiteux, with surprise, hate, and anger in his looks. "What, then, you know him?" said the Skeleton. "Know him?" replied the Gros-Boiteux. "Why, my lads, I denounce him as a nose, and he must be punished!" "Yes, yes!" replied the prisoners. "Are you sure it was he who informed against you?" asked Frank; "suppose it was a mistake,--we mustn't ill-use a man who's innocent." This remark was displeasing to the Skeleton, who leaned over to the Gros-Boiteux, and said in his ear: "Who is this man?" "One with whom I have worked." "Are you sure?" "Yes--but he hasn't gull enough--too much treacle in him." "Good, I'll keep an eye on him." "Tell us how Germain turned nose," said a prisoner. "Yes, let us know all about it, Gros-Boiteux," continued the Skeleton, who did not take his eyes off Frank. "Well, then," said Gros-Boiteux, "a man of Nantes, named Velu, a freed convict, brought up the young fellow, whose birth no one is acquainted with. When he had reached the proper age they put him into a banking-house at Nantes, thinking they had put a wolf to watch the money-box, and make use of Germain to do a bold and great stroke which had been meditated for a very long time. There were to be two _coups_, a forgery and a dip into the strong chest at the bank, something like a hundred and fifty thousand francs. All was arranged, and Velu relied on the young fellow as on himself, for the chap slept in the room in which the iron safe was. Velu told him his plans; Germain neither says yes or no, but reveals all to his employer, and the very same evening cuts his stick and mizzles to Paris." The prisoners burst into various murmurs of indignation and threats. "He's a spy--nose--informer!--and we'll have the bones out of his body!" "If it's agreeable, I'll seek a quarrel with him, and settle his hash!" "Silence in the stone jug!" exclaimed the Skeleton, in a tone of command. The prisoners were silent. "Go on," said the _prevot_ to Gros-Boiteux, and he went on smoking.