“I remember getting some excellent sour-krout there.”
“You must be exceedingly strong, Rantaine. What shoulders you have! I should be sorry to get a tap from you. I, on the other hand, when I came into the world, looked so spare and sickly, that they despaired of rearing me.”
“They succeeded though; which was lucky.”
“Yes: I still stay at the Jean Auberge.”
“Do you know, Sieur Clubin, how I recognised you? It was from your having recognised me. I said to myself, there is nobody like Sieur Clubin for that.”
And he advanced a step.
“Stand back where you were, Rantaine.”
Rantaine fell back, and said to himself:
“A fellow becomes like a child before one of those weapons.”
Sieur Clubin continued: