Louise gave him another kiss, and a tear stood in Hullin's eye as he looked at her, and murmured:
"That's the pay I like best of all."
Yégof was at that time about fifty paces off their house, and the noise and tumult grew louder and louder.
The street urchins, hanging on to his tattered robes, kept shouting: "Diamonds! spades! clubs!" All of a sudden he turned round, raising his sceptre, and, with a proud, though furious air, exclaimed:
"Begone, accursed race! Begone! Deafen me no more with your cries, or I will let loose my pack upon you."
The only effect of this threat was to redouble the hisses and shouts of laughter; but at this juncture Hullin appeared at his door, with his long strap in his hand, and picking out five or six of the most riotous, threatened to give them a taste of it for their supper—a thing which the worthy man had often done before, with the full consent of their parents—when all the troop dispersed helter-skelter. Then, turning towards the maniac:
"Come in, Yégof," said the shoemaker: "come in, and warm yourself by the fire."
"My name is not Yégof," replied the poor fellow, with an offended air: "my name is Luitprand, King of Austrasia and Polynesia."
"Yes, yes, I know," said Jean-Claude, "I know; you have told me all that before; but no matter whether your name is Yégof or Luitprand, come in all the same. It is cold; try and warm yourself."