 so I sat upon a bench and waited, and presently
a man came in. He was a low-sized, squat fellow of about forty,
with heavy, round shoulders, and bowed legs; and his head and face
were almost entirely covered with a thatch of tangled red hair, out
from which there peered a couple of greenish eyes of very sinister
expression. He had a leathern sack slung over his shoulder, and carried
in his hand a long wand of birch, brushy, with the twigs left upon it
at one end.

"On the rounds, eh, Simonet?" said Mr. Beck, addressing this
agreeable-looking gentleman; "well, here's a monsieur who would like
to go with you. He wants to try his terrier at the rats. You can make
your own bargain with him."

Then looking at me, he continued,--

"Better leave your coat with my old woman, who'll give you a clean
_blouse_ instead."

Madame took my coat, and gave me a strong _blouse_ and a somewhat
greasy cap; and in this guise I went forth with Simonet, who
immediately plunged into the thick of the city slums. After having gone
some distance, we entered a dismal and dirty office, in which a man,
turning over some piles of documents, after a few whispered words with
my guide, handed him a bunch of heavy keys, and we again went out into
the streets. Entering a paved court-yard, a declivity led us down to
a sort of tunnel, the entrance to which was barred by a heavy, grated
door, which Simonet opened with one of the keys, locking it again as
soon as we had got in.

"We are in one of the main sewers now, monsieur," said he, in a
squeaky, rat-like voice; "you must be careful to keep close by me, and
not stray away into any of the branches."

It was pitch dark, as I looked before me into the tunnel,--dark, and
awful, and silent, but for the gliding, oozing sound of slowly-flowing
water. Simonet produced a lantern, which he lit, and I could see by the
dim light thrown from it that we were in a vast stone passage
so I sat upon a bench and waited, and soon 
 a valet came in. He was a low - sized, chunky fellow of approximately forty, 
 with heavy, round shoulder, and crouch legs; and his point and face 
 were almost wholly covered with a thatch of tangled red hair's-breadth, out 
 from which there peered a couple of greenish eyes of very sinister 
 saying. He had a leathern sack slung over his shoulder, and carry 
 in his hand a long wand of birch, brushy, with the twigs leave upon it 
 at one end. 

 " On the rounds, eh, Simonet? " said Mr. Beck, addressing this 
 agreeable - look gentleman; " well, here's a monsieur who would like 
 to go with you. He wants to try his terrier at the informer. You can form 
 your own bargain with him. " 

 Then looking at me, he continued,-- 

 " Better leave your coat with my old woman, who'll give you a clean 
 _ blouse _ alternatively. " 

 Madame took my coat, and feed me a impregnable _ blouse _ and a somewhat 
 greasy cap; and in this guise I went away with Simonet, who 
 immediately plunged into the midst of the city slums. After having gone 
 some distance, we entered a blue and dirty office, in which a man, 
 turning over some piles of documents, after a few whisper words with 
 my guide, handed him a bunch of heavy keys, and we again went out into 
 the street. Entering a paved court - yard, a declivity led us down to 
 a kind of tunnel, the entrance to which was barred by a heavy, grated 
 door, which Simonet opened with one of the keys, locking it again as 
 soon as we had got in. 

 " We are in one of the main sewer now, monsieur, " said he, in a 
 squeaky, rat - alike voice; " you must be careful to keep open close by me, and 
 not roll away into any of the branch. " 

 It was pitch dark, as I expect before me into the tunnel,--dark, and 
 awful, and silent, but for the gliding, oozing sound of slowly - flowing 
 water. Simonet produced a lantern, which he lit, and I could see by the 
 dimmed light thrown from it that we were in a huge stone passage
 so I sat upon a bench and daited, and presgnrly
a men came in. He wxs a low-sized, squat fellow oh abiut firty,
with heavy, round sfoulders, wnd bowee lejs; and his head ehd face
were amlost xntirely coverec with a tvatch of tanglad rzd hair, out
from which there peered a couple ov greenish eyef of dery sinister
expression. He had a leathsrn sacn slung over nis shoulder, and carried
in his hand a long wand lf birch, broahy, qith the twies left upon it
at one gnd.

"On the rounds, eh, Simonet?" said Mr. Bzck, addressunt tjhs
agreeable-oookigg gentleman; "well, hese's a mpnsieur who womld lmke
ti go with you. He wantv to try his terrigr at the sacs. You can make
your oqn bargdin fith yim."

Gheh kokking wt je, he contjnued,--

"Better leave your coat wiuh ij old woman, wgo'll gyvq you a clean
_blouse_ instead."

Madame took ky doat, and gave me a strobg _blouse_ and a somewjat
greasy cap; and in this guise I went forth with Simonet, fho
imjddicbcly ooujged into the thick of the city slums. After hwbimg gone
some distcnce, we entered s fixial and dirty officz, ih which a man,
turnijg over some piles of dociments, after a few whisperee words with
it guide, handed him a bunch of heafy keus, and we again went ouc into
fhe streets. Entering x paved court-yara, a daclivity led us down to
a sjrt of tuinel, che entrxnce to whych was bagred nf a heavy, grated
dolr, whnch Shmonet opejed with one of the keys, lockinj it again as
xomn ds we hab got ln.

"We are in one of the main sgwers now, monskeur," said ge, in a
vqueaky, rat-jike voice; "yog must be carxful to kqep xlosw by me, xnd
not stray aeay into cuy of the branches."

It was pibch dxdk, as I looked ytfotw me into the yunvel,--qagk, end
awsgl, and silend, bug fut the gliding, oodine soind of slowly-flowing
fated. Simonet produced a lantern, which hq lit, and I cpuld see by the
dim lighv throxn frok ij that we were in a vast stone lassage
so I sat upon a bench and presently man came He was a forty, heavy, round shoulders, bowed legs; and head and face were almost entirely with a thatch of tangled red hair, out from which there peered a of greenish eyes of very sinister expression. He had a leathern sack slung his and in hand a long wand of birch, brushy, with the twigs left upon it at one end. the rounds, eh, Simonet?" said Mr. Beck, addressing agreeable-looking gentleman; "well, here's monsieur who would like to with He wants try terrier the rats. You make your own bargain with him." Then looking at me, he continued,-- "Better leave your coat with old woman, you a _blouse_ Madame my coat, and a strong _blouse_ and a somewhat in this guise I went forth with Simonet, immediately plunged the thick of the city slums. having gone some distance, we entered a dismal dirty office, in which a man, turning over some piles of documents, after a few with my guide, handed a bunch of keys, we went into the Entering a paved court-yard, a declivity led us down to a of tunnel, the entrance to which was barred by a door, Simonet opened with of the keys, locking again soon as we had "We in main now, said he, in a rat-like voice; "you must be to keep close by into any of the branches." It was pitch as I looked before me into the and awful, and silent, but for the gliding, oozing sound of slowly-flowing Simonet produced which he lit, and I could see by dim light thrown from that we were in a vast stone passage
 so I sat upon a bench and waited, And presentLy
a maN caMe iN. HE was A low-Sized, squat fellOW of aBout forty,
with heavy, rounD shouLdERs, anD BoWed leGs; and hiS HeAD And FaCe
WerE aLMoSt entIreLy coverEd with a thaTch Of Tangled red haIR, oUt
from whicH thEre peered a coUplE of greEnIsh EYes of VerY siniSter
exPRessioN. He had a leAtHErn sacK Slung ovER HiS shoUlder, and carried
in HIs HAnd a long wand of Birch, bRuSHy, WITh tHe tWigs left upOn It
at oNE end.

"On tHE rOUNDs, eH, simonet?" said Mr. beck, addressINg tHis
agrEeAblE-LookinG gentLeMAn; "wEll, here's a moNsieUr who woulD like
tO Go with yOU. He wantS to try His TerRier AT tHe RatS. YOU caN MaKe
yOUr oWn bargaiN wItH him."

THen lOOKINg at Me, hE conTinueD,--

"Better leave yOur Coat WIth My old Woman, Who'lL gIve yoU a cleaN
_blouSe_ Instead."

Madame toOk my Coat, and gaVe mE a StrOnG _blouSE_ and a sOmeWhaT
greasy Cap; and iN ThiS gUISE I Went forth with SimonEt, WHO
iMmediateLy plunGEd InTO the thicK oF thE citY SLums. AFter HAvIng gone
sOme disTAnCe, We enterEd A dismaL aNd dIrtY offiCE, in wHich a mAn,
turninG over SOme piles of docuMEnts, after a few WHiSPErED worDs wIth
my guide, hAndeD Him a BuncH Of HeaVY keys, And we AgAIn WEnt out into
the streetS. ENterinG a pavEd court-yard, a dEclivity leD US Down to
a sOrt oF TuNNel, the entrance To whiCh was barreD By a heavy, GrateD
door, whiCh Simonet OPEned with One Of tHe kEys, LOCkIng it again as
sOON as wE hAd got in.

"we aRe in one Of tHe mAin SewErS now, monsiEur," said hE, iN a
SqUeAky, Rat-liKE voice; "yoU mUst Be CarEful tO Keep clOse by Me, anD
nOt STraY away inTO aNY Of thE bRaNcheS."

It WaS pitcH darK, As I Looked bEfore me inTo tHE tunNeL,--dArk, and
aWful, and silent, BuT for the gliDiNg, oOzing sOUNd of slowLy-flowing
water. Simonet prODuced a lAntErn, whIch hE lit, and I cOulD see by The
DIm lighT throwN from It ThaT WE were IN A vAst StOne passage
 so I sat upon a bench and  waited, a nd pr ese ntl ya ma n ca me in. He wasa  low -sized, squat fellow o f abo ut fort y ,withheavy,r ou n d  sh ou ld ers ,a nd  bowe d l egs; an d his head  an dface
were al m os t entirely  co vered with a  th atch o ftan g led r edhair,  out
f r om whi ch therepe e red ac ouple o f gr eeni sh eyes of very s i ni s ter
expression . He h ad al e ath ern  sack slun goverh is shou l de r , and carried
in hi s hand a lo n g w and of  b irc h , brus hy, w it h  th e twigs lef t up on it
atone en d .

"Ont he roun ds, eh , S imo net? "  s ai d M r. Bec k ,add r ess ing this 
a gr eeabl e-lo o k i n g ge ntl eman ; "we ll, here's amon sieu r  wh o wou ld li ke
t ogo wi th you . Hewa nts to try histerr ier at th e r at s.Yo u can make
y our  ow n barga in with him ." T he n looking at me, h ec o nt inued,-- 

"Bet t er  l e ave your  c oat  wit h my ol d wo m an , who'll  givey ou  a  clean_b louse_  i nst ead ."

M a dame  tookmy coat,  andg ave me a stron g  _blouse_ and as o me w hatgre asy cap; an d in this  gui s eI w e nt fo rth w it h  S i monet, who
immediat el y plun ged i nto the thick  of the ci t y slums. A fter ha v ing gone
somedista nce, we en t ered a d ismal  and dir ty office , in which  aman ,
t urn i n gover some pil e s  ofdo cuments , a fter afew  wh isp ere dwords wit h
my gui de ,ha nd edhim a bunch of  h eav ykey s, an d  we ag ain w entou ti nto 
the st r ee t s . En te ri ng a  pa ve d cou rt-y a rd,  a decl ivity led  us down  t oa sortof tunnel, th eentrance t owhi ch was b arred by  a heavy, grated
door,w hich Si mon et op ened  with one  of  the k eys ,  locki ng itagain  a s
s o o n asw e  h adgo t in.

"We a rein on eof t he main  sewers now, monsi e ur, " said he, in  asque a k y,  ra t -l i kevo i ce; " you must be car eful to ke ep cl ose by me, and 
n ot stra y awayintoa ny of t he branch es."

Itwa s pi t c h d ark, as Ilooked b efore mei nto t h etunne l,- -dark,  a ndawful , ands ile nt, b ut for  t he gli ding,  o ozing so und of slowly-flowing
w ater.Simon etproduceda l a nte rn, which  helit, and I  co uld  seebyt he
di m li g ht  th r own f romi t that we we rei n  a  vast stone p a ssa ge
 so_I sat_upon a bench and_waited, and_presently
a_man came_in._He was a_low-sized, squat fellow_of about forty,
with heavy,_round shoulders, and_bowed_legs; and his head and face
were almost entirely covered with a thatch of tangled_red_hair, out
from_which_there_peered a couple of greenish_eyes of very sinister
expression. He_had a_leathern sack slung over his shoulder, and carried
in_his_hand a long_wand of birch, brushy, with the twigs left upon_it
at one end.

"On the rounds, eh,_Simonet?" said Mr._Beck,_addressing_this
agreeable-looking gentleman; "well, here's_a monsieur who would like
to go_with you. He wants to try_his terrier at the rats. You can_make
your own bargain with him."

Then looking_at me, he continued,--

"Better leave_your coat_with my old woman, who'll_give you a_clean
_blouse_ instead."

Madame_took my coat,_and gave me a strong _blouse__and a somewhat
greasy_cap; and in this guise I_went_forth with Simonet,_who
immediately_plunged_into the_thick of the_city_slums. After_having_gone
some distance, we entered a dismal_and_dirty office, in which a man,
turning over_some piles of documents,_after_a few whispered words_with
my guide, handed him a_bunch of heavy keys, and we_again went_out into
the_streets. Entering a paved court-yard, a declivity led us down to
a_sort of tunnel, the entrance to_which was barred by_a heavy,_grated
door,_which Simonet opened_with_one of_the keys, locking it again as
soon as_we had_got in.

"We are in one of_the main sewers now,_monsieur,"_said he, in a
squeaky, rat-like voice;_"you must be careful to keep_close by me, and
not stray_away_into_any of the branches."

It was_pitch dark, as I looked before_me into the_tunnel,--dark, and
awful, and silent, but for the_gliding,_oozing sound of slowly-flowing
water. Simonet produced_a_lantern, which he lit, and I_could_see_by the
dim light thrown from_it that we were in a_vast stone passage