"Here, your excellency!" said Peppino, taking the fowl from the young bandit, and placing it on the worm-eaten table, which, with a stool and the goat-skin bed, formed the entire furniture of the cell. Dunglars asked for a knife and fork.
"Here, excellency," said Peppino, offering him a little blunt knife and a boxwood fork. Danglars took the knife in one hand and the fork in the other, and was about to cut up the fowl.
"Pardon me, excellency," said Peppino, placing his hand on the banker's shoulder; "people pay here before they eat. They might not be satisfied, and———"
"Ah! ah!" thought Danglars, "this is no longer like Paris, without reckoning that I shall probably be fleeced! Never mind, I will carry it off well! I have always heard how cheap poultry is in Italy; I should think a fowl is worth about twelve sous at Rome.—There," he said, throwing a louis down.
Peppino picked up the louis, and Danglars again prepared to carve the fowl.
"Stay a moment, your excellency," said Peppino, rising; "you still owe me something."
"I said they would fleece me," thought Danglars; but resolving to resist the extortion, he said, "Come, how much do I owe you for this hectic fowl?"
"Your excellency has given me a louis on account."
"A louis on account for a fowl!"
"Certainly; and your excellency now owes me four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine louis!"
Danglars opened his enormous eyes on hearing this gigantic joke.
"Very droll," he muttered, "very droll indeed," and he again began to carve the fowl, when Peppino stopped the baron's right hand with his left, and held out his other hand.
"Come, now," he said.
"Is it not a joke?" said Danglars.
"We never joke," replied Peppino, solemn as a Quaker.
"What! A hundred thousand francs for a fowl!"
"Ah, excellency, you cannot imagine how hard it is to rear fowls in these horrible caves!"
"Come, come, this is very droll—very amusing—I allow; but, as I am very hungry, pray allow me to eat. Stay, here is another louis for you."
"Then, that will make only four thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight louis," said Peppino, with the same indifference. "I shall get them all in time."
