they were now so near the fire, which had long flamed at a distance on the blackness of night, that it gleamed upon the road, and they could distinguish figures moving about the blaze.the way winding still nearer, they perceived in the valley one of those numerous bands of gipsies, which at that period particularly haunted the wilds of the pyrenees, and lived partly by plundering the traveller.emily looked with some degree of terror on the savage countenances of these people, shewn by the fire, which heightened the romantic effects of the scenery, as it threw a red dusky gleam upon the rocks and on the foliage of the trees, leaving heavy masses of shade and regions of obscurity, which the eye feared to penetrate.
they were preparing their supper; a large pot stood by the fire, over which several figures were busy.the blaze discovered a rude kind of tent, round which many children and dogs were playing, and the whole formed a picture highly grotesque.the travellers saw plainly their danger.valancourt was silent, but laid his hand on one of st.
aubert's pistols; st.aubert drew forth another, and michael was ordered to proceed as fast as possible.they passed the place, however, without being attacked; the rovers being probably unprepared for the opportunity, and too busy about their supper to feel much interest, at the moment, in any thing besides.
after a league and a half more, passed in darkness, the travellers arrived at beaujeu, and drove up to the only inn the place afforded;which, though superior to any they had seen since they entered the mountains, was bad enough.
the surgeon of the town was immediately sent for, if a surgeon he could be called, who prescribed for horses as well as for men, and shaved faces at least as dexterously as he set bones.after examining valancourt's arm, and perceiving that the bullet had passed through the flesh without touching the bone, he dressed it, and left him with a solemn prescription of quiet, which his patient was not inclined to obey.the delight of ease had now succeeded to pain; for ease may be allowed to assume a positive quality when contrasted with anguish; and, his spirits thus re-animated, he wished to partake of the conversation of st.aubert and emily, who, released from so many apprehensions, were uncommonly cheerful.late as it was, however, st.aubert was obliged to go out with the landlord to buy meat for supper; and emily, who, during this interval, had been absent as long as she could, upon excuses of looking to their accommodation, which she found rather better than she expected, was compelled to return, and converse with valancourt alone.they talked of the character of the scenes they had passed, of the natural history of the country, of poetry, and of st.aubert; a subject on which emily always spoke and listened to with peculiar pleasure.