Once more the iron bolts were drawn upon me.  At the moment of my arrival, the prisoners were playing in the prison yard, and the jailer introduced me amongst them in these terms, “I bring you a murderer of the parts of speech; understand him if you can.”

They immediately flocked about me, and I was accosted with salutations of Landsman and Meinheer without end.  During this reception, I looked out for the cooper of Livry.

[He meets with him.]

“Mossie, Mossie,” I said, addressing the prisoner, who seemed to think I said Moiselet, “Mossie Fine Hapit, (not knowing his name, I so designated him, because his coat was the colour of flesh,) sacrement, ter teufle, no tongue to me; yer Francois, I miseraple, I trink vine; faut trink for gelt, plack vine.”

I pointed to his hat, which was black; he did not understand me; but on making a gesture that I wanted to drink, he found me perfectly intelligible.  All the buttons of my great coat were twenty-franc pieces; I gave him one:  he asked if they had brought the wine, and soon afterwards I heard a turnkey say,

“Father Moiselet, I have taken up two bottles for you.”  The flesh-coloured coat was then Moiselet.  I followed him into his room, and we began to drink with all our might.  Two other bottles arrived; we only went on in couples.  Moiselet, in his capacity of chorister, cooper, sexton, &c. &c. was no less a sot than gossip; he got tipsy with great good-will, and incessantly spoke to me in the jargon I had assumed.

Matters progressed well; after two or three hours such as these I pretended to get stupid.  Moiselet, to set me to rights, gave me a cup of coffee without sugar; after coffee came glasses of water.  No one can conceive the care which my new friend took of me; but when drunkenness is of such a nature it is like death—­all care is useless.  Drunkenness overpowered me.  I went to bed and slept; at least Moiselet thought so; but I saw him many times fill my glass and his own, and gulp them both down.  The next day, when I awoke, he paid me the balance, three francs and fifty centimes, which, according to him, remained from the twenty-franc piece.  I was an excellent companion; Moiselet found me so, and never quitted me.  I finished the twenty-franc piece with him, and then produced one of forty francs, which vanished as quickly.  When he saw it drunk out also he feared it was the last.

“Your button again,” said he to me, in a tone of extreme anxiety, and yet very comical.

I showed him another coin.  “Ah, your large button again,” he shouted out, jumping for joy.

This button went the same way as all the other buttons, until at length, by dint of drinking together, Moiselet understood and spoke my language almost as well as I did myself, and we could then disclose our troubles to each other.  Moiselet was very curious to know my history, and that which I trumped up was exactly adapted to inspire the confidence I wished to create.