At that moment Monsieur de Brevanne arrived upon the scene of conflict; he saw his coat upon the ground, sleeveless, while Georget and Pongo, with an equally confused and sheepish expression, gazed piteously at the portion of the garment which had remained in their hands. "Well! I am waiting for my coat!" said the count, who found it hard not to smile at the bearing of the two persons before him. "Coat--_flonflon_--there, there!" said the mulatto, passing his master the sleeve that he held. "What's this you are giving me, Pongo? a sleeve?" "Oh! me put on the rest afterward, master, me stitch up all what's torn, me fix it nice. It's Monsieur Georget's fault, him want to take the coat, him say me no longer monsieur's servant; me no believe him, he try to take _flonflon_ by force." "That is true, monsieur," said Georget; "it is my fault that your coat is torn, I admit; I was in such a hurry to bring it to you, and he refused to give it to me." "If he take my place to wait on master, then Pongo discharged, turned out! Poor Pongo! very unhappy! he go bang his head against the wall." And the mulatto began to utter noises that would have frightened an ox. Not without much difficulty did his master convince him that he had never had any intention of dismissing him, and that if he did take Georget to Paris that day, it did not mean that Georget had any desire to take his place. Georget himself embraced Pongo and begged him to forgive him for the pain which he had involuntarily caused him; the mulatto became calm, he picked up the pieces of _flonflon_, and Monsieur de Brevanne, having donned another coat, started for Paris with Georget. XXVI A GOOD FRIEND On reaching Paris, the count said to Georget: "I don't need you at this moment, my boy; go about your own business; but be on the boulevard, opposite Rue d'Angouleme, at five o'clock; I will take you up there as I pass, I shall have a cab, and we will come back together." "Very good, monsieur; but if monsieur needs me, if he wishes me to go with him----" "It isn't necessary; be at the place I have mentioned at five o'clock." The count walked away, and Georget did not hesitate long as to what he would do. In a few moments he was on the boulevard, and he walked in the direction of the Chateau d'Eau. It was flower market day in that quarter, the weather was magnificent, and there was a great concourse of dealers and promenaders. Georget congratulated himself upon that circumstance, which would enable him to keep out of sight in the crowd, and not be seen; for he wished to see Violette, and he wished also to see her without her suspecting it.