ASSAULTED BY A FRENCH VILLAIN. 269 



neck. Now it chanced that there was something round 

 my neck on which I set an immense value ; so, seizing 

 the fool again, I gave him a second shaking, still 

 more roughly than before, and told him again to mind 

 what he was at, for that I was getting dangerous. I 

 then flung him from me amidst a shower of " don'ts " 

 from my young French friend, and was about to turn 

 to the carriage-door once more, when this mounte- 

 bank went through such a series of saltations and 

 swincring about of his arms, while he advanced on 

 me, that I thought he was in a fit. However, he 

 came at me and seized me by the collar ; so, deeming 

 that I had had full provocation for any retort I chose 

 to make, I let go my right hand and caught him flush 

 in the eye. He was too close in to me for the hit to 

 tell with any lashing effect, besides being in a heavy 

 great-coat ; but the blow, such as it was, proved 

 quite enough to settle all further desire on his part to 

 come within reach ; so, deeming the matter disposed 

 of, as he thereafter kept out of arms' length, and still 

 hoping to have time to obtain my passport, I got into 

 my carriage and drove off. 



It wanted but half an hour to the sailing of the 

 packet ; and when we arrived at the quay, to my in- 

 dignant horror, there was the coward mountebank 

 again, calling around him in the dark a lot of the 



