"Put down that dish instantly!" I said to the young man, who looked somewhat aghast, either at his own daring, or at the monseigneur which Moric Endem had given me. I was rising as I spoke, but the man hesitated, while a loud laugh, evidently at his expense, burst from his fellows below. "Put down that dish!" I exclaimed again, in a voice that made the hall echo; and, as he did not instantly obey, I struck him a single blow on the head, which, coming from an arm well practised and not particularly weak, stretched him at full length upon the floor, with sauces and condiments floating round him. It luckily so happened that the aubergiste himself was in the room at the moment, and, taking instant advantage of the dead silence that ensued, I said, in as calm a tone as possible, "Landlord, bring in another dish, and charge that which is on the floor to those persons who are at the other end of the table." "Certainly, monseigneur! certainly!" replied the aubergiste, impressed as much as I could desire by what had taken place; while I quietly returned to my place and proceeded in carving the boiled beef, in which I had been interrupted. In the mean while my fallen friend raised himself up, glanced at me for a moment with uncertain rage, of which I took not the slightest notice, and then returning to his companions, spoke a word or two sullenly to them. They laughed, but in a much lower tone than before; and a brief and muttered consultation seemed to be held, while the landlord brought in a new dish and deposited it before Martin Vern. As the landlord passed them, however, one of them beckoned him up and asked him something in a whisper, and I could then hear my own name passing from mouth to mouth, with various additions and improvements at the fancy of the retailers, as, "The Seigneur de Cerons!" "The Count de Cerons!" "The celebrated Count de Cerons!" "The Seigneur de Cerons, colonel-general of the infantry!" It was clear, however, that the whole party--whether these additions had been made by the magnifying powers of Moric Endem when he announced my name to the host or not--it was clear that the whole party were now determined to look upon me as a very great man, and to make that an excuse to themselves for sneaking away without taking any farther notice of the chastisement inflicted on their companion. Accordingly, after hesitating and looking doubtful, and whispering for several minutes more, one by one disappeared through the doorway, and we were left in possession of the hall to discuss our supper in tranquillity.