"The consequences are, that I will fling you out of window, you—impudent scoundrel," bawled out Mr. Pen; and darting upon the Frenchman, he would very likely have put his threat into execution, for the window was at hand, and the artist by no means a match for the young gentleman—had not Captain Broadfoot and another heavy officer flung themselves between the combatants—had not the ladies begun to scream—had not the fiddles stopped—had not the crowd of people come running in that direction—had not Laura, with a face of great alarm, looked over their heads and asked for Heaven's sake what was wrong—had not the opportune Strong made his appearance from the refreshment-room, and found Alcides grinding his teeth and jabbering oaths in his Gascon French, and Pen looking uncommonly wicked, although trying to appear as calm as possible, when the ladies and the crowd came up.
"What has happened?" Strong asked of the chef in Spanish.
"I am Chevalier de Juillet," said the other, slapping his breast, "and he has insulted me."
"What has he said to you?" asked Strong.
"Il m'a appelé—Cuisinier?" hissed out the little Frenchman.
Strong could hardly help laughing. "Come away with me, my poor chevalier," he said. "We must not quarrel before ladies. Come away; I will carry your message to Mr. Pendennis.—The poor fellow is not right in his head," he whispered to one or two people about him;—and others, and anxious Laura's face visible among these, gathered round Pen, and asked the cause of the disturbance.
Pen did not know. "The man was going to give his arm to a young lady, on which I said that he was a cook, and the man called me a coward and challenged me to fight. I own I was so surprised and indignant that if you, gentlemen, had not stopped me, I should have thrown him out of window," Pen said.
"D—— him, serve him right, too—the d— impudent foreign scoundrel," the gentlemen said.
"I—I'm very sorry if I hurt his feelings, though," Pen added; and Laura was glad to hear him say that; although some of the young bucks said, "No, hang the fellow—hang those impudent foreigners—little thrashing would do them good."