The place was in total darkness，save a red glow in the chinks and ventilators of the stove．But nOW the landlady lit a lamp to see her new guests；I suppose the darkness was what saved US another expulsion，for I cannot say she looked gratified at our appearance．We were in alarge，bare apartment，adorned with two allegorical prints of Music andPainting，and a copy of the Law against Public Drunkenness．On one sidethere was a bit of a bar，with some half a dozen bottles．Two 1aborerssat waiting supper，in attitudes of extreme weariness；a plain-lookinglass bustled about with a sleepy child of two，and the landlady began toderange the pots upon the stove and set some beefsteak tO grill．
“These gentlemen are peddlers?”she asked sharply；and that was all the conversation forthcoming。We began tO think we might bepeddlers，after a11．I never knew a population with SO narrow a range of conjecture as the innkeepers of Pont——sur-Sambre．But manners and bearing have not a wider currency than bank notes．You have only to get far enough out of your beat，and all your accomplished airs will gofor nothing．These Hainauters could see no difference between US andthe average peddler．Indeed，we had some grounds for reflection whilethe steak was getting ready，to see how perfectly they accepted US attheir own valuation，and how our best politeness and best efforts at entertainment seemed to fit quite suitably with the character of packmen．At least it seemed a good account of the profession in France，that even before such judges we could not beat them at our own weapons．
At last we were called to table．The two hinds(and one of them looked sadly worn and white in the face，as though sick with overwork and underfeeding)supped off a single plate of some sort of bread—berry，some potatoes in their 1ackets，a small cup of coffee sweetened with sugar candy，and one tumbler of swipes．The landlady，her son，and the lass aforesaid took the same．Our meal was quite a banquet by comparison．We had some beefsteak，not SO tender as it might have been，some of the potatoes，some cheese，an extra glass of the swipes，and white sugar in our coffee．