“Il vous offre ses apologies les plus profondes. Il a déjà souffert assez. Dans ces circonstances, monsieur,” she concluded, with an air of charming persuasiveness, “on peut excuser le jeune homme, n’est-ce pas?—on peut pardonner une faute si honnêtement et sincèrement regrettée.”
And she paused, smiling at him with an air of hopeful finality, as if to say: “There! You agree with me, don’t you? I knew you would!”
But the Frenchman was not to be so easily persuaded. Waving thin fingers sideways in the air, and shaking his head without conviction, he laughed a dry, dubious laugh, and said:
“Ah-h! I don’t know—mademoiselle! Zese apologies!—”—again he waved thin dubious fingers—“eet ees all ver-ree well to meck apologies bot ze—vat you say?—ze dom-mage!—ze dom-mage is done…. Monsieur,” he said gravely, turning to Starwick, “you have been coupable of a ver-ree gret offence. Ze—ze—vat you say?—ze assault, monsieur—ze assault ees’ere in France—une chose très sérieuse! Vous comprenez?”
“Ace,” said Starwick coldly.
“Mon client,” the little Frenchman cleared his throat portentously—“—mon client, Monsieur Reynal,’as been terriblement blessé—insulté! monsieur!” he cried sharply. “Eeet ees necessaree zu meck des réparations, n’est-ce pas?”
“Ace,” said Starwick coldly. “Whatever reparation you desire.”
The Frenchman stared at him a moment in an astonished way and then, in an excited and eager tone, cried:
“Ah, bon! Zen you agree?”
“Perfectly,” said Starwick.
“Bon! Bon!” the little man said eagerly, rubbing his hands together with greedy satisfaction. “Monsieur est sage—ees, vat you say?—ees ver-ree wise. Monsieur est Américain—n’est-ce pas?—un étranger—comme vous, mademoiselle… et vous, monsieur… et vous, mademoiselle—you are’ere zu meck ze tour—zu be libre—free—n’est-ce pas—zu avoid ze complications—”
“But,” said Elinor, in a bewildered tone, “—what is—I don’t understand—”
“Alors,” the Frenchman said, “eet ees bettaire to avoid ze complications—oui! Ah,” he said, with an arching glance at Starwick, “mais Monsieur est sage… est très, très sage! C’est toujours mieux de faire des réparations… et éviter les conséquences plus sérieuses.”
