The whole company, pressing after Pierrot, abandoned itself to laughter.
“I always said you should change parts with me,” cried Harlequin. “You’re such an excellent tumbler. Have you been practising?”
“Fool!” Scaramouche snapped. “Must you be laughing when I’ve all but broken my neck?”
“You are right. We ought to be weeping because you didn’t break it. Come, man, get up,” and he held out a hand to the prostrate rogue.
Scaramouche took the hand, clutched it, heaved himself from the ground, then with a scream dropped back again.
“My foot!” he complained.
Binet rolled through the group of players, scattering them to right and left. Apprehension had been quick to seize him. Fate had played him such tricks before.
“What ails your foot?” quoth he, sourly.
“It’s broken, I think,” Scaramouche complained.
“Broken? Bah! Get up, man.” He caught him under the armpits and hauled him up.