I do not know whether he ever came from there.  He had kept me good company, and this I discovered as soon as he was gone, for in a few days I became as melancholy as before.  Fortunately, I was still allowed my walk in the garret, and I began to examine its contents with more minuteness.  One of the chests was full of fine paper, pieces of cardboard, uncut pens, and clews of pack thread; the other was fastened down.  A piece of polished black marble, an inch thick, six inches long, and three broad, attracted my attention, and I possessed myself of it without knowing what I was going to do with it, and I secreted it in my cell, covering it up with my shirts.

A week after Maggiorin had gone, Lawrence told me that in all probability I should soon get another companion.  This fellow Lawrence, who at bottom was a mere gabbling fool, began to get uneasy at my never asking him any questions.  This fondness for gossip was not altogether appropriate to his office, but where is one to find beings absolutely vile?  There are such persons, but happily they are few and far between, and are not to be sought for in the lower orders.  Thus my gaoler found himself unable to hold his tongue, and thought that the reason I asked no questions must be that I thought him incapable of answering them; and feeling hurt at this, and wishing to prove to me that I made a mistake, he began to gossip without being solicited.

“I believe you will often have visitors,” said he, “as the other six cells have each two prisoners, who are not likely to be sent to the Fours.”  I made him no reply, but he went on, in a few seconds, “They send to the Fours all sorts of people after they have been sentenced, though they know nothing of that.  The prisoners whom I have charge of under the Leads are like yourself, persons of note, and are only guilty of deeds of which the inquisitive must know nothing.  If you knew, sir, what sort of people shared your fate, you would be astonished, It’s true that you are called a man of parts; but you will pardon me....  You know that all men of parts are treated well here.  You take me, I see.  Fifty sous a day, that’s something.  They give three livres to a citizen, four to a gentleman, and eight to a foreign count.  I ought to know, I think, as everything goes through my hands.”

He then commenced to sing his own praises, which consisted of negative clauses.

“I’m no thief, nor traitor, nor greedy, nor malicious, nor brutal, as all my predecessors were, and when I have drunk a pint over and above I am all the better for it.  If my father had sent me to school I should have learnt to read and write, and I might be Messer-Grande to-day, but that’s not my fault.  M. Andre Diedo has a high opinion of me.  My wife, who cooks for you every day, and is only twenty-four, goes to see him when she will, and he will have her come in without ceremony, even if he be in bed, and that’s more than he’ll do for a senator.  I promise you you will be always