med determined to keep at a respectful
distance, "_je vous demande mille excuses_."

"_Ah! que c'est charmant_!" cried some of the fair sex, who, as well as
the men, had been attracted by, and were listening to the dispute.
"_Que Monsieur l'Anglais est drole: et voyez Moustache, comme il a l'air
content--vraiment c'est un chien d'esprit_."

"_Allez, Moustache_," said his master, who was now all smiles, "_donnez
la patte a monsieur--donnez donc_. Ah, sare, he forgive you, I am very
sure--_il n'a pas de malice_, but he is afraid of de cigar. De burnt
shild dred de _vater_, as your great Shakespeare say."

"_C'est un chien de talent: il a beaucoup de sentiment. Je suis bien
fache de t'avoir blesse, monsieur_."

"_Et monsieur parle Francais_?"

"I should esteem myself fortunate, if I spoke your language as well as
you do mine," replied McElvina, in French.

This compliment, before so many bystanders, completely won the heart of
the vain and choleric Frenchman.

"Ah, sare, you are too complaisant. I hope I shall have de pleasure to
make your acquaintance. _Je m'appelle Monsieur Auguste de Poivre. J'ai
l'honneur de vous presenter une carte d'adresse_. I live on de top
of my mother's,--_sur l'entresol_. My mother live on de
ground--_rez-de-chaussee_. Madame _ma mere_ will be delighted to
receive a monsieur of so much vit and adresse." So saying, away went
Monsieur Auguste de Poivre, followed by Moustache, who was "_all von and
de same ting_."

"Well, we live and learn," said McElvina, laughing, as soon as the
Frenchman was at a little distance; "I never thought that I should have
made an apology to a dog."

"Oh, but," replied Debriseau, "you forget that he was _Un chien de
sentiment_."

"You may imagine, from my behaviour, that I consider him a wiser puppy
than his master, for he ran away from fire, whereas his master tried all
he could to get into it. Some of our countrymen would have humoured
him, and turned a comedy into a tragedy--I set a proper value on my
life, and do not choose to risk it about trifles."

"There has been more than one valuable life thrown away about a dog, in
my remembrance," said Debriseau. "I think you behaved in a sensible
manner to get rid of the affair as you did; but you would have done
better not to have burnt the dog's nose."

"Granted," replied McElvina; "the more so, as I have often remarked,
that there is no object in the world, except your children or your own
sel