devouring, maddening hunger seized him, and almost drove him against the
walls of the house, like a wild beast.

He said aloud, in a grumbling voice: "In heaven's name! they must give
me some, this time." And he began to knock at the door vigorously with
his stick, and as nobody came he knocked louder and called out: "He! he!
you people in there, open the door!" And then, as nothing moved, he went
up to the window, and pushed it open with his hand, and the close warm
air of the kitchen, full of the smell of hot soup, meat and cabbage
escaped into the cold, outer air, and with a bound the carpenter was in
the house. Two covers were laid on the table, and no doubt the
proprietors of the house, on going to church, had left their dinner on
the fire, their nice, Sunday boiled beef and vegetable soup, while there
was a loaf of new bread on the chimney-piece, between two bottles which
seemed full.

Randel seized the bread first of all, and broke it with as much violence
as if he were strangling a man, and then he began to eat it
voraciously, swallowing great mouthfuls quickly. But almost immediately
the smell of the meat attracted him to the fire-place, and having taken
off the lid of the saucepan, he plunged a fork into it and brought out a
large piece of beef tied with a string. Then he took more cabbage,
carrots and onions until his plate was full, and having put it onto the
table, he sat down before it, cut the meat into four pieces, and dined
as if he had been at home. When he had eaten nearly all the meat besides
a quantity of vegetables, he felt thirsty, and took one of the bottles
off the mantel-piece.

Scarcely had he poured the liquor into his glass, than he saw it was
brandy. So much the better; it was warming and would instill some fire