"Come, monsieur le chevalier, give me the rose crown you were so anxious to lose. Quickly, if you please! I ought to have gone long ago!" "I, pay you!" cried Passedix, drawing himself up to his full height, and with the back of his hand giving a tilt over one ear to the sort of cap he wore; "pay you! No, indeed! for the throw was not fair; it doesn't count!" "Doesn't count! that throw of mine! I suppose that you say that in jest, _beau sire_, but I don't like that sort of pleasantry, I warn you. Pay me quickly, and let us have done with it!" "Once more I tell you, I will not pay! The throw was bad. You threw the dice with your left hand. I don't play with a left-handed----" "Chevalier, you are trying to find a pretext for not paying. In the first place, I did not throw with my left hand; and in the second place, if I did, the throw would be perfectly fair." "No; in that case, you are bound to notify your opponent." "I did not play with my left hand!" "Then I lie, do I?" "Yes; and you are nothing but a blackleg!" "Ah! by Roland! you shall pay dearly for that insult--you vile clodhopper!" "Meanwhile, you are going to get what you deserve, you long-legged sharper who wanted to sup at our expense!" As he spoke, that one of the tradesmen who had played with the Gascon put out his arm and rushed forward to strike him with his fist. But his opponent had anticipated the blow and jumped back quickly. As ill luck would have it, Cédrille had risen when he saw that the quarrel had become serious, and muttering: "I want to go away; I am not enjoying myself at all here!" received full in the face the blow intended for his friend. He uttered a cry of pain. Instantly Passedix whipped out his sword, and Roland's blade was directed at the shopkeeper, who had seized the pewter pot with which to defend himself. But a new personage had entered the café and forced his way through the crowd that already surrounded the combatants. XV A BOHEMIAN The man who had entered the wine shop wore a long cloak of dark-colored cloth, which reached almost to his feet and was caught in at the waist by a striped red and black belt adorned with a fringe. On his head was a sort of pointed cap trimmed with fur. Cloak and cap alike were soiled and in wretched condition. This was the type of costume worn at that period by those persons who undertook to draw horoscopes, and who were commonly called Bohemians. They were very different from the Bohemians of our day, who dress well and have not a sou, for they wore shabby clothes and often had gold hidden in the pockets or the lining of their shabby garments. Gray hair and an almost snow-white beard indicated a man of advanced years. However, he seemed to be robust still, for he easily put aside the bystanders and forced a passage for himself through the crowd.