"Oh! what are you about?" he said.
I stopped short. "Pardon, monsieur," I said, "but you ordered me to fold the letter, and I am folding it."
M. de Broval bit his lip. I had laid emphasis on the word "ordered" in the spoken phrase as I have just underlined it in the written phrase.
"Yes," he said; "but you are folding it square—that is all right for high functionaries. If you give square-folded letters to inspectors and sub-inspectors, what will you do for ministers, princes and kings?"
"Quite so, M. le chevalier," I replied; "will you tell me what is the correct way for inspectors and sub-inspectors?"
"Oblong, monsieur, oblong."
"You will pardon my ignorance, monsieur; I know what an oblong is in theory, but I do not yet know what it is in practice."
"See...."
And M. de Broval condescended willingly to give me the lesson in things oblong I had asked of him.
"There!" he said, when the letter was folded.