"Monsieur, I am on the sidewalk, as you are. I have a right to be here, I fancy."
"What's all this?—Cheap talk? impertinence? If you're not satisfied, monsieur, say so at once; I'm your man; I won't run away!"
His interlocutor, who had not left home with the intention of fighting a duel, quickened his pace and disappeared without making any further reply.
Cherami began to wave his switch about as before.
"These fellows are amazing, on my word!" he muttered. "They want to frighten me out of playing with this little stick. As if I would put myself out—as if——"
But this time he concluded to stop, hearing the crash of broken glass; he had shattered with his switch a beautiful mirror which formed part of the show-window of a perfumer's shop. The mistress of the establishment was already in her doorway, where she said to Cherami in an angry tone:
"You broke that mirror, monsieur; you broke it!"
Beau Arthur, with no outward indication of excitement, smiled at the perfumeress as he rejoined:
"Very good! my dear woman, if I broke your mirror, I'll pay for it. You shouldn't lose your temper for a little thing like that. How much will it cost to replace it?"
"Twenty francs, monsieur."