However, I wasn't a bit frightened, although I wondered how he had found out about it so soon. Simply putting my hand in my pocket, I pulled out two francs and offered them to him. But instead of taking them with a polite "merci," as I had expected, he swept them to the floor; then lifting me in no very gentle fashion on to the seat, he planted me squarely in front of a small placard fastened just below where the mirror had been, and which I had never taken the trouble to read before, supposing it to be all in French. It was printed in French, German, and English, and announced that if, in a case of necessity, the presence of the guard was required, the glass was to be broken and a cord pulled inside. Should this be done, however, it went on to state, without good and sufficient reason, a fine would be imposed, the amount of which far exceeded the sum of money I had with me.
I understood it all now; my sword had not only broken the glass, but caught in the ring attached to the alarm-rope, thus causing the stoppage of the whole train, and my present predicament.
What was to be done? I was not able to pay out that which I did not possess, explain matters I could not, and meantime the conductor continued to storm and rage, curious passengers began to gather about the open door, and Thad grew pale with fright.
Suddenly I thought of a possible way out of the scrape, and heroically determined to make the necessary sacrifice. Drawing forth my precious watch, I handed it to the guard.
He smiled and nodded as he took it, and the next moment the train started on again. But there was no more fencing for us that day, and I sat gazing drearily out of the window, in grief for my lost time-piece, nearly all the rest of the journey.
Father said afterward that it served me right, and would teach me there was a place for everything; but before we left France he redeemed my watch for me.
THE FIRST MUSIC LESSON.