with her guests, autocratic, authoritative and sometimes
contradictory in her house, and altogether irrational and
unconciliatory when any change even for a day was proposed to her, or
when any shadow of a complaint reached her ears.

Indeed of complaint, as made against the establishment, she was
altogether intolerant. To such she had but one answer. He or she
who complained might leave the place at a moment's notice if it so
pleased them. There were always others ready to take their places.
The power of making this answer came to her from the lowness of her
prices; and it was a power which was very dear to her.

The baths were taken at different hours according to medical advice,
but the usual time was from five to seven in the morning. The
dejeuner or early meal was at nine o'clock, the dinner was at four.
After that, no eating or drinking was allowed in the Hotel Bauche.
There was a cafe in the village, at which ladies and gentlemen could
get a cup of coffee or a glass of eau sucre; but no such
accommodation was to be had in the establishment. Not by any
possible bribery or persuasion could any meal be procured at any
other than the authorised hours. A visitor who should enter the
salle a manger more than ten minutes after the last bell would be
looked at very sourly by Madame Bauche, who on all occasions sat at
the top of her own table. Should any one appear as much as half an
hour late, he would receive only his share of what had not been
handed round. But after the last dish had been so handed, it was
utterly useless for any one to enter the room at all.

Her appearance at the period of our tale was perhaps not altogether
in her favour. She was about sixty years of age and was very stout