"Pooh! as usual, you gentlemen of the nightwatch are badly informed,"
grumbled the ostler, pushing the dog into a corner. "I know what it was,
for one of the theatrical players is a lady lodger of ours. She was
unfairly supplanted by some insignificant young upstart and, of course,
the public, always knowing true talent from shallow pretension, broke up
the seats and pelted the manager with it along with his imposter!"

"Well, good-morning, Karlchen," said the gendarme, taking the
correction in good part, and withdrawing his booted leg from the door.
"I may see you when I am off duty and we will make sure that Freyers
have better taste in brewing beer than in choosing actresses."

Having heard enough to convince him that Daniels was in a house guarded
by the faithful, Claudius proceeded up the stairs dimly visible before
him at the end of a clean, bricked passage. His progress was more easy
when he reached the landing, as the lamp mentioned, in a recess and
projecting its rays in two directions, shone on the door of the suite of
three rooms where the Jew and his daughter were lodged.

Pausing before he knocked, Claudius heard the soft step of slippered
feet. On tapping discreetly, a reserved voice ordered him to come in. It
was Daniels who spoke; he was in a dressing-gown, with bare head, and,
having cleared the chairs back to enable him to make the circuit of the
table in the center of the spacious room, had apparently been walking
round it like a caged lion. On the table were various articles heaped up
without order and an open trunk, partly packed. He looked up in emotion
while Claudius paused on the sill, more affected than he understood the
reason for.