Hunger overcame astonishment. The child began to eat. The poor boy
devoured rather than ate. The glad sound of the crunching of bread filed
the hut. The man grumbled,--

"Not so quick, you horrid glutton! Isn't he a greedy scoundrel? When
such scum are hungry, they eat in a revolting fashion. You should see a
lord sup. In my time I have seen dukes eat. They don't eat; that's
noble. They drink, however. Come, you pig, stuff yourself!"

The absence of ears, which is the concomitant of a hungry stomach,
caused the child to take little heed of these violent epithets, tempered
as they were by charity of action involving a contradiction resulting in
his benefit. For the moment he was absorbed by two exigencies and by two
ecstasies--food and warmth.

Ursus continued his imprecations, muttering to himself,--

"I have seen King James supping _in propriâ personâ_ in the Banqueting
House, where are to be admired the paintings of the famous Rubens. His
Majesty touched nothing. This beggar here browses: browses, a word
derived from brute. What put it into my head to come to this Weymouth
seven times devoted to the infernal deities? I have sold nothing since
morning I have harangued the snow. I have played the flute to the
hurricane. I have not pocketed a farthing; and now, to-night, beggars
drop in. Horrid place! There is battle, struggle, competition between
the fools in the street and myself. They try to give me nothing but
farthings. I try to give them nothing but drugs. Well, to-day I've made
nothing. Not an idiot on the highway, not a penny in the till. Eat away,
hell-born boy! Tear and crunch! We have fallen on times when nothing can