“Very good; I understand perfectly. You don’t want me to whip the child?”
“Do nothing more than I tell you. Then there’s a dog, a monstrous dog.”
“Describe him, if you please.”
“Mon Dieu! monsieur, I can’t do it very well. I was on horseback and the dog tried to jump at me; I had to keep twisting and turning to avoid him. I think he was of the bull-dog breed; he was very large, and seemed very savage.”
“Peste! what a savage beast! Wasn’t he muzzled?”
“Of course not, as he bit my horse.”
“He is unlawfully at large; I will complain to the authorities and have him impounded.”
“Just find out whom he belongs to; I will attend to the rest.”
“That may be rather difficult; didn’t you notice any particular marks?”
“Oh! how you irritate me, monsieur!”