“Likely they will take you!” she glanced at him pityingly.
Looking beyond her he saw that the two men had stopped their conversation and were watching him. The woman moved away and one of the men (he of the tricolour) stopped her.
“The citizen over there is not very prosperous looking,” he remarked. “Who is he?”
“A servant looking for a place, citizen.”
“He speaks,” was the answer, “like an aristocrat.”
“He has lived with them, I believe, citizen.”
“Has he?” The important man glanced at his companion, who struck his knee softly and cried–
“‘Suspect!’–on the face of it! What did he order–an omelette?”
The other stroked his rough chin and spoke to the woman.
“Ask the citizen-servant how many eggs go to his omelette!”