"Ah, diable!" said Gaston to himself, "if you do not know, I do." Then he added, aloud, "Well then, monsieur, be content, they are very bad, and that is perhaps the reason why we had the pleasure of dining together to-day."
"Eh, monsieur, are you compromised?"
"I fear so."
"Receive my excuses."
"I beg you, on the contrary, to accept mine, but I have a neighbor below who is becoming impatient, and who is striking hard enough to break the boards of my floor; permit me to reply to him."
"Do so, monsieur; if my topographical calculations are correct, it must be the Marquis de Pompadour."
"It will be difficult to ascertain."
"Not so difficult as you suppose."
"How so?"
"Does he not strike in a peculiar manner?"