"I swore whatever she liked, though I did not at all understand what she
meant, and my forehead was covered with perspiration, so I took my
pocket-handkerchief out of my helmet, and she took it and wiped my brow
with it; then she kissed me, and whispered: 'Then you will?' 'I will do
anything you like, Madame,' I replied, 'as that is what I came for.'

"Then she made herself clearly understood by her actions, and when I saw
what it was, I put my helmet onto a chair, and showed her that in the
dragoons a man never retires, Captain.

"Not that I cared much about it, for she was certainly not in her prime,
but it is no good being too particular in such a matter, as ten francs
are scarce, and then I have relations whom I like to help, and I said to
myself: 'There will be five francs for my father, out of that.'

"When I had done my allotted task, Captain, I got ready to go, though she
wanted me to stop longer, but I said to her:

"'To everyone their due, Madame. A small glass of brandy costs two sous,
and two glasses cost four.'

"She understood my meaning, and put a gold ten-franc piece into my hand.
I do not like that coin, because it is so small that if your pockets are
not very well made, and come at all unsewn, one is apt to find it in
one's boots, or not to find it at all, and so, while I was looking at it,
she was looking at me. She got red in the face, as she had misunderstood
my looks, and she said: 'Is not that enough?'

"'I did not mean that, Madame,' I replied; 'but if it is all the same to