"No, no!"
"Nonsense! I will not do it," he declared. "Come, mademoiselle, you are trying to back out of your offer of a minute ago. Here! Is it mine or is it not? Say!"
"It is yours, monsieur, in any case," she said, in a low voice, "though you would have done me a favor not to press me with money. Besides, 'La Petite Chatte' is not worth it."
"I differ with you, mademoiselle; I simply get a picture cheap."
Which was true. There was no sentiment in his offer, and she saw it as she carefully folded the bank-note and put it away with a sigh. It was a great deal of money for her, but still——
There was a great noise at the iron knocker below. This had been repeated for the third time.
"My friends below are growing impatient," he thought.
Jean had that inborn hatred of authority so common to many of his countrymen. It often begins in baiting the police, and sometimes ends in the overthrow of the government.
"Whoever that is," observed the girl, "he will never get in,—never!"