America and lettin' them run loose! Ye should muzzle thim, Mister
Professor, if ye would turn thim out to pasture in the boardin'-house of
a poor widdy woman, and no end of trouble, and worry, and every one
sayin', 'Why did ye let th' Dago come for, annyhow?'"

The professor and his friends sat silent under this attack, and when it
was finished they arose.

"Be so kind," said the professor, politely, "to tell the Flannery the
ultimatum of Monsieur the Professor Jocolino. One hundred educate French
flea have I bring to the States United. Of the progeny I do not say. One
milliard, two milliard, how many is those progeny I do not know, but of
him I speak not. Let him go. I make the Flannery a present of those
progeny. But for those one hundred fine educate French flea must he pay.
One dollar per each educate flea must he pay, that Flannery! It is the
ultimatum! I come Sunday at past-half one on the clock. That Flannery
will the money ready have, or the law will be on him. It is sufficient!"

The three compatriots bowed low, and went away. For fully five minutes
Mrs. Muldoon sat in a sort of stupor, and then she arose and went about
her work. After all it was Flannery's business, and none of hers, but
she wished the men had gone to Flannery, instead of delegating her to
tell him.

"Thief of th' worrld!" exclaimed Flannery, when she told him the demand
the professor had made. "Sure, I have put me foot in it this time,
Missus Muldoon, for kill thim I did, and pay for thim I must, I dare
say, but 't will be no fun t' do it! One hunderd dollars for fleas, mam!
Did ever an Irishman pay the like before? One week ago Mike Flannery
would not have give one dollar for all the fleas in th' worrld. But