‘And this Caffarelli, now,’ he pursued:  ’he is a splendid fellow, too, is he not?  I have not heard vastly much of him myself.  No details, sir—­no details!  We labour under huge difficulties here as to unbiassed information.’

‘I believe I have heard the same complaint in other countries,’ I could not help remarking.  ’But as to Caffarelli, he is neither lame nor blind, he has two legs and a nose in the middle of his face.  And I care as much about him as you care for the dead body of Mr. Perceval!’

He studied me with glowing eyes.

‘You cannot deceive me!’ he cried.  ’You have served under him.  You are a Frenchman!  I hold by the hand, at last, one of that noble race, the pioneers of the glorious principles of liberty and brotherhood.  Hush!  No, it is all right.  I thought there had been somebody at the door.  In this wretched, enslaved country we dare not even call our souls our own.  The spy and the hangman, sir—­the spy and the hangman!  And yet there is a candle burning, too.  The good leaven is working, sir—­working underneath.  Even in this town there are a few brave spirits, who meet every Wednesday.  You must stay over a day or so, and join us.  We do not use this house.  Another, and a quieter.  They draw fine ale, however—­fair, mild ale.  You will find yourself among friends, among brothers.  You will hear some very daring sentiments expressed!’ he cried, expanding his small chest.  ’Monarchy, Christianity—­all the trappings of a bloated past—­the Free Confraternity of Durham and Tyneside deride.’

Here was a devil of a prospect for a gentleman whose whole design was to avoid observation!  The Free Confraternity had no charms for me; daring sentiments were no part of my baggage; and I tried, instead, a little cold water.

’You seem to forget, sir, that my Emperor has re-established Christianity,’ I observed.

‘Ah, sir, but that was policy!’ he exclaimed.  ’You do not understand Napoleon.  I have followed his whole career.  I can explain his policy from first to last.  Now for instance in the Peninsula, on which you were so very amusing, if you will come to a friend’s house who has a map of Spain, I can make the whole course of the war quite clear to you, I venture to say, in half an hour.’

This was intolerable.  Of the two extremes, I found I preferred the British tory; and, making an appointment for the morrow, I pleaded sudden headache, escaped to the inn, packed my knapsack, and fled, about nine at night, from this accursed neighbourhood.  It was cold, starry, and clear, and the road dry, with a touch of frost.  For all that, I had not the smallest intention to make a long stage of it; and about ten o’clock, spying on the right-hand side of the way the lighted windows of an alehouse, I determined to bait there for the night.