"I am the silk merchant," he continued pretty audibly, but with a suspicious glance behind him. "Probably you have—"
Again I signed to him that I could not hear.
"You have heard of me?"
"From M. Gringuet?" I said very loudly.
"Yes," he answered in a similar tone; for, aware that deaf persons cannot hear their own voices and are seldom able to judge how loudly they are speaking, I had led him to this. "And I suppose that you will do as he did?"
"How?" I asked. "In what way?"
He touched his pocket with a stealthy gesture, unseen by the people behind him.
Again I made a sign as if I could not hear.
"Take the usual little gift?" he said, finding himself compelled to speak.
"I cannot hear a word," I bellowed. By this time the crowd were shaking with laughter.