Attitudes grew more limp, more
abandoned. Soot and prickly dust flew in unceasingly at the open
windows. The train stopped at Bonnard, Chemilly, and Moneteau,
each time before a waiting crowd that invaded it. And at last, in
the great station at Auxerre, it poured out an incredible mass of
befouled humanity that spread over everything like an inundation.
Sophia was frightened. Gerald left the initiative to Chirac, and
Chirac took her arm and led her forward, looking behind him to see
that Gerald followed with the valise. Frenzy seemed to reign in
Auxerre.
The driver of a cab demanded ten francs for transporting them to
the Hotel de l'Epee.
"Bah!" scornfully exclaimed Chirac, in his quality of experienced
Parisian who is not to be exploited by heavy-witted provincials.
But the driver of the next cab demanded twelve francs.
"Jump in," said Gerald to Sophia. Chirac lifted his eyebrows.
At the same moment a tall, stout man with the hard face of a
flourishing scoundrel, and a young, pallid girl on his arm, pushed
aside both Gerald and Chirac and got into the cab with his
companion.
Chirac protested, telling him that the cab was already engaged.
The usurper scowled and swore, and the young girl laughed boldly.
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