fully prepared to carry out his bluff. He started in to abuse the
two Americans whom in his ignorance he took for English.

"Ah, you _sale Anglais_! You come to France to cheat the poor
Frenchman. You make me work all afternoon and then pay me nothing.
Not with this coco! I know my rights and I'll get them, too."

All this was hurled at them in a patois French, almost
unintelligible to Shirley, and wholly so to Jefferson. All he knew
was that the fellow's attitude was becoming unbearably insolent
and he stepped forward with a gleam in his eye that might have
startled the man had he not been so busy shaking his fist at
Shirley. But she saw Jefferson's movement and laid her hand on his
arm.

"No, no, Mr. Ryder--no scandal, please. Look, people are beginning
to come up! Leave him to me. I know how to manage him."

With this the daughter of a United States Supreme Court judge
proceeded to lay down the law to the representative of the most
lazy and irresponsible class of men ever let loose in the streets
of a civilised community. Speaking with an air of authority, she
said:

"Now look here, my man, we have no time to bandy words here with
you. I took your cab at 3.30. It is now 5.30. That makes two
hours. The rate is two francs an hour, or four francs in all. We
offer you five francs, and this includes a franc _pourboire_. If
this settlement does not suit you we will get into your cab and
you will drive us to the nearest police-station where the argument