While speaking, the portress was showing Godefroid up one of those horrible stairways of brick and wood so ill put together that it is hard to tell whether the wood is trying to get rid of the bricks or the bricks are trying to get away from the wood; the gaps between them were partly filled up by what was dust in summer and mud in winter.  The walls, of cracked and broken plaster, presented to the eye more inscriptions than the Academy of Belles-lettres has yet composed.  The portress stopped on the first landing.

“Here, monsieur, are two rooms adjoining each other and every clean, which open opposite to those of Monsieur Bernard; that’s the old gentleman I told you of,—­quite a proper person.  He is decorated; but it seems he has had misfortunes, for he never wears his ribbon.  They formerly had a servant from the provinces, but they sent him away about three years ago; and now the young son of the lady does everything, housework and all.”

Godefroid made a gesture.

“Oh!” cried the Portress, “don’t you be afraid; they won’t say anything to you; they never speak to any one.  They came here after the Revolution of July, in 1830.  I think they’re provincial folk ruined by the change of government; they are proud, I tell you! and dumb as fishes.  For three years, monsieur, I declare they have not let me do the smallest thing for them for fear they should have to pay for it.  A hundred sous on New Year’s day, that’s all I get out of them.  Talk to me of authors, indeed!”

This gossip made Godefroid hope he should get some assistance out of the woman, who presently said, while praising the healthfulness of the two rooms she offered him, that she was not a portress, but the confidential agent of the proprietor, for whom she managed many of the affairs of the house.

“You may have confidence in me, monsieur, that you may!  Madame Vauthier, it is well known, would rather have nothing than a single penny that ought to go to others.”

Madame Vauthier soon came to terms with Godefroid who would not take the rooms unless he could have them by the single month and furnished.  These miserable rooms of students and unlucky authors were rented furnished or unfurnished as the case might be.  The vast garret which extended over the whole building was filled with such furniture.  But Monsieur Bernard, she said, had furnished his own rooms.

In making Madame Vauthier talk, Godefroid discovered she had intended to keep boarders in the building, but for the last five years had not obtained a single lodger of that description.  She lived herself on the ground-floor facing towards the boulevard; and looked after the whole house, by the help of a huge mastiff, a stout servant-girl, and a lad who blacked the boots, took care of the rooms, and did the errands.