"Please, sir," said I, now speaking for the first time, "I was taking my French lesson with your daughter, when Monsieur Jacques was pleased to call me '_cochon_,' and abused my country. I demanded an apology, which he refused, and before I was aware of it, kicked me in the eye. I gave one straight blow with my fist, _comme ca_"--(here I imitated the blow to show him how an Englishman could knock a Frenchman down)--"and he fell full length upon the floor." "Yes, it is true, papa," broke in Pauline; "the Englishman has spoken the truth." "_C'etait bien fait, c'etait bien fait_," said her father; "go on." "Then," resumed I, "Millefleurs sprang again to his feet, and seized a razor." "Ha! he seized a razor? Is that so, Monsieur Millefleurs? Did you seize a razor?" Jacques was silent as before, while I proceeded, "I then seized a chair." "You seized a chair, _hebien_!" "And I knocked the razor out of his hand. He fell to the ground with pain, and yelled." "_Encore, bien fait--apres?_" "He jumped up again, and pounced upon me like a tiger, and nearly knocked me over, but I tripped him up in time, and he fell to the ground, together with myself, and then we rolled over and over each other on the floor, till I at length succeeded in extricating myself, and placed my foot upon his neck, when you entered, sir." "_C'est bien vraie_," burst in Pauline again; "the Englishman has given an exact account of the quarrel." "Ha! is that so?" asked Le Chauve. "_Hebien!_ Monsieur Jacques, you have refused to apologise to the Englishman for insulting him and kicking him in the eye. Now, I command you to apologise to him, or out of my shop you shall go at once. Do you hear?" "Non; _mille fois non_!" cried Jacques, stamping with rage, forgetful alike of the respect due to his master and the presence of Pauline, "I would sooner die first." "Then prepare at once to leave my house. Take up your bundle and walk!" The peremptory manner in which these words were said caused Jacques to pause and weigh matters. "If my employer actually does send me off," he probably said to himself, "then adieu to Pauline for ever, but if I consent to apologise, I shall remain here, and may in time succeed in cutting out the Englishman." This was probably his mode of reasoning, for he was too good a politician not to know where his interests lay, so changing his tone entirely, and gulping down with difficulty something that was rising in his throat, and which, if he had given expression to, would probably have resembled an ingenious French oath, he replied with great apparent calmness, "Monsieur Le Chauve, you have always been a good master to me, and I have always tried to prove myself worthy of your kindness, and I should be sorry to leave you for a trifle, therefore I will obey you, and will demand pardon of _mon cher confrere l'anglais_, for having in a moment of ungovernable passion kicked him in the eye, and insulted him."