The Green Man quickly rose and hurried to the door by the side of the fireplace; but it was opened by the landlord who appeared, and said to the keeper: "Don't alarm yourself, Monsieur--it is my wife; she has the toothache." And he laughed.

"Here, Mother Angenoux, here are some scraps for your cat." He held out a packet to the old woman, who took it eagerly and went out by the door, closely followed by her cat.
"Then you won't serve me ?" asked the Green Man.
Daddy Mathieu's face was placid and no longer retained its expression of hatred.
"I've nothing for you--nothing for you.

Take yourself off." The Green Man quietly refilled his pipe, lit it, bowed to us, and went out.

No sooner was he over the threshold than Daddy Mathieu slammed the door after him and, turning towards us, with eyes bloodshot, and frothing at the mouth, he hissed to us, shaking his clenched fist at the door he had just shut on the man he evidently hated: "I don't know who you are who tell me 'We shall have to eat red meat--now'; but if it will interest you to know it--that man is the murderer!" With which words Daddy Mathieu immediately left us.

Rouletabille returned towards the fireplace and said: "Now we'll grill our steak.