'Hang;' ya, ya — zo.''

"Yes — you've deserved it long ago, you old rascal!" said
Mr. Flitter, in affectionate abuse. " Well — ^whaf s up?"

" Vot's ope! ya: Mr. Shtaudigl — see dare!" the other went
on, pointing to a paragraph in the newspaper with his pipe;
" Mr. Shtaudigl, vos sing Der Freyschutz with der Koenig."

« Yes — I know Koenig," replied Mr. Flitter, "^ plays the
comet-a-piston."

"Bishtons! no!" said Stoff, smoking his pipe furiously to
get it alight again. "Vith der King — vot he vos — dw
real king; ya — zo!"

« Oh, now I have it!" said Mr. Flitter. " Why dont you
speak English?"



148 THE POTTI-RTON LEOACI

«Ya! tish diffixoold!" returned the Herr. " Ven Mr,
Shtaudigl vos play Pertram, he speak pewtiful — zo— yas
goot pye!"

And here Mr. StoflF appeared to be summoned irom
below, for he rapidly disappeared down the trap, after which
voices were long heard in foreign altercation, which is never
very subdued.
As soon as he had gone, Mr. Wyndham Flitter unfolded
the purport of his visit to M. Polpette. He first painted, in
glowing colours, the indignities that the foreign gentleman
had met with from the hands of Mr. Spooner; and then
alluded to the surprise of certain acquaintances at finding
that M. Polpette had allowed the insult to go unnoticed.
Phis, M. Polpette listened to with the expression of several
thousand " tonnerres" and " sacr-r-risties" until Mr. Flitter
found he had worked him up to the proper pitch of anger,
when he added, speaking always in French, " In a word,
Polpette, you must call him out."

" Oui!" replied the other, with an expression that sounded
anything but acquiescent.
