Page 369 - les-miserables

CHAPTER II

THE PERSPICACITY OF

MASTER SCAUFFLAIRE

From the town-hall he betook himself to the extremity
of the town, to a Fleming named Master Scaufflaer, French
Scaufflaire, who let out ‘horses and cabriolets as desired.’
In order to reach this Scaufflaire, the shortest way was
to take the little-frequented street in which was situated the
parsonage of the parish in which M. Madeleine resided. The
cure was, it was said, a worthy, respectable, and sensible
man. At the moment when M. Madeleine arrived in front
of the parsonage there was but one passer-by in the street,
and this person noticed this: After the mayor had passed
the priest’s house he halted, stood motionless, then turned
about, and retraced his steps to the door of the parsonage,
which had an iron knocker. He laid his hand quickly on
the knocker and lifted it; then he paused again and stopped
short, as though in thought, and after the lapse of a few sec-
onds, instead of allowing the knocker to fall abruptly, he
placed it gently, and resumed his way with a sort of haste
which had not been apparent previously.

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