"Certainly," I said, "I did not know of the regulation. If I had, I should have complied with it. There is no similar rule in England."
A great change took place in the official's manner. His face cleared, and he waved his arm with a gesture of magnificent condescension. His whole attitude expressed clearly that so enlightened and cultured a person as himself was in the habit of making every allowance for any poor, benighted pagan like me.
"Well, M'sieur; well, I accept your statement, and I withdraw my expressions of a moment back. But think, M'sieur, of the risk to which your conduct has exposed others. Think of the pollution of the air, the contamination of the atmosphere! Think, M'sieur, of the typhoid! the fever!! the cholera!!!"
He looked round upon the others, and a sympathetic shudder of horror passed over them.
As an Englishman, of course, I felt strongly inclined to derisive laughter. However, I merely said,—
"Well, what is to be done next?"
"The body must be removed, M'sieur!" he answered, with a touch of severity, "at once!!"
"How?"
"A scavenger will remove it."
I stood silent. The idea repelled me. This thing that had been petted and cared for by me for ten years, had slept at my side, and often been held in my arms, now to be flung upon a dust heap, with the rotting matter of a Paris street. The mind will not change its associations so quickly. I looked at the man and said,—