"What do we do next, citizen Merri?"
"Do?" broke in the cadaverous creature, even before Merri had time to reply. "Do? Why, take the wench to—to—"
He got no further, became helpless with coughing. Esther, quite instinctively, pushed the carafe of water towards him.
"Nothing of the sort!" riposted Merri sententiously. "The wench stays here!"
Both Esther and Jack had much ado to suppress an involuntary cry of relief, which at this unexpected pronouncement had risen to their lips.
The man with the cough tried to protest.
"But—" he began hoarsely.
"I said, the wench stays here!" broke in Merri peremptorily. "Ah ca!" he added, with a savage imprecation. "Do you command here, citizen Rateau, or do I?"
The other at once became humble, even cringing.
"You, of course, citizen," he rejoined in his hollow voice. "I would only remark—"