on their way, the stranger, whose name was valancourt, stepped on first to speak to his hostess, and she came out to welcome st.aubert into a cottage, much superior to any he had seen.this good woman seemed very willing to accommodate the strangers, who were soon compelled to accept the only two beds in the place.eggs and milk were the only food the cottage afforded; but against scarcity of provisions st.aubert had provided, and he requested valancourt to stay, and partake with him of less homely fare; an invitation, which was readily accepted, and they passed an hour in intelligent conversation.st.aubert was much pleased with the manly frankness, simplicity, and keen susceptibility to the grandeur of nature, which his new acquaintance discovered; and, indeed, he had often been heard to say, that, without a certain simplicity of heart, this taste could not exist in any strong degree.
the conversation was interrupted by a violent uproar without, in which the voice of the muleteer was heard above every other sound.
valancourt started from his seat, and went to enquire the occasion;but the dispute continued so long afterwards, that st.aubert went himself, and found michael quarrelling with the hostess, because she had refused to let his mules lie in a little room where he and three of her sons were to pass the night.the place was wretched enough, but there was no other for these people to sleep in; and, with somewhat more of delicacy than was usual among the inhabitants of this wild tract of country, she persisted in refusing to let the animals have the same bed-chamber with her children.this was a tender point with the muleteer; his honour was wounded when his mules were treated with disrespect, and he would have received a blow, perhaps, with more meekness.he declared that his beasts were as honest beasts, and as good beasts, as any in the whole province; and that they had a right to be well treated wherever they went.'they are as harmless as lambs,' said he, 'if people don't affront them.inever knew them behave themselves amiss above once or twice in my life, and then they had good reason for doing so.once, indeed, they kicked at a boy's leg that lay asleep in the stable, and broke it;but i told them they were out there, and by st.anthony! i believe they understood me, for they never did so again.'