“You comprehend me perfectly well; don’t pretend that you don’t—that is only shuffling (tracasserie).
“The name of my master was Johnson.”
“Why did you leave him?” I inquired.
“He is dead, monsieur.”
“Why did you not return to France at his death?” was my next question.
“Monsieur, I tried to obtain work in England,” said the beggar.
“How long did you work for Mr. Johnson?”
“There was a long time, monsieur, that—”
“How long?” I repeated. “How many years?”
“Since two years.”