"Don't pretend to be so submissive—"
"How do you know what I am?"
"Because you flourish about so with that light."
"What? Where? Where have I flourished about with a light? I always take a lantern when I go out to the stable, but—"
The gendarme laughed and said: "I mean your brown eyes—that's where the light is. Your eyes are like two balls of fire."
"Then get out of my way, lest you get burnt. You might get blown up with all that powder in your cartridge-box."
"There's nothing in it," said the gendarme, embarrassed, but wishing to make some kind of retort. "But you have scorched me already."
"I don't see where—you seem to be all right. But enough! Let me go."
"I'm not keeping you, you little crib-biter. You could lead a man a hard life, who was fond of you."
"Nobody need be fond of me," said Amrei; and she rushed away as if she had got loose from a chain.