"Really, monsieur, I ought to bear you a grudge, after all the fables you told me. Hereafter, if I ever believe you----" "Come, come, Monsieur Ménard, let us leave gall and bitterness to atrabilious souls, and let it not be said of us: _Nec ipsa mors odium illorum internocinum exstinxit._" "Oh, yes! I know that you are very well read," said the tutor, softening a little; "but that castle of Krapach! And then, to make me act!" "Allow me to offer you a cup of coffee, and a glass of Liqueur des Iles." "Very well, if you insist."--And the tutor said to himself, as he followed Dubourg to a table: "This devil of a fellow has a persuasive way that seduces you and carries you away; it's impossible to remain angry with him." "Where are you from?" he asked; "my pupil has been looking for you a long while; he's very anxious to see you." "I have just arrived from my province--Bretagne." "Ah! so you are from Bretagne? I am not surprised, then, that you were constantly bringing it into your descriptions of Poland; and then, the milk and butter that you were always boasting about." "Excellent they are, Monsieur Ménard." "And what have you been doing in Bretagne?" "I have just inherited a very pretty little fortune from my aunt." "I'll wager that that isn't true!" "O Monsieur Ménard! don't you see that I am in mourning?" "That proves nothing; you were dressed as a Polish nobleman when we walked arm in arm through the streets of Lyon. Oh! when I think of that----" "Do you think also of the delicious dinners I ordered for you?" "Of course, of course! Oh! you order a dinner perfectly. But that poor Monsieur Chambertin! To make him believe that he was entertaining an illustrious character!" "Look you, Monsieur Ménard, I don't see why I'm not as good as another man----" "And to make him give parties and fireworks and magnificent dinners!" "Where you did your part wonderfully well." "I acted in perfect good faith, myself; I was your accomplice, without suspecting it. Do you know that you compromised me, and that that was very ill done of you?" "Have a glass of punch; what do you say?" "Oh! I am afraid----" "It shall be very mild." "All right, if it's mild----" "Waiter, two glasses of punch." "For, you see, my friend, I am not as young as you are, and the follies which are overlooked in the young admit of no excuse in those of mature years." "You talk like Cicero; but I reply that Cato learned to dance at sixty." "Are you quite sure of that?" "I didn't see it; but our follies were very reasonable ones.--Let us take a drink." "I admit that we didn't injure anybody, after all. This punch is good, very good. But when you made me run across fields on account of that imaginary Turk----" "Faith! I'll admit that he was a creditor; but aren't they Turks to their unfortunate debtors?--Another drink."