"You reason well, but you see she is out of humour with you. She wants to
speak to me to-morrow, and I have no doubt that you will be the subject
of our conversation."

"Possibly, but still I should think she would not speak to you of the
comic piece of business; it would be very silly of her."

"Why so? You don't know these pious women. They are brought up by
Jesuits, who often give them some good lessons on the subject, and they
are delighted to confess to a third party; and these confessions with a
seasoning of tears gives them in their own eyes quite a halo of
saintliness."

"Well, let her tell you if she likes. We shall see what comes of it."

"Possibly she may demand satisfaction; in which case I shall be glad to
do my best for her."

"You make me laugh! I can't imagine what sort of satisfaction she could
claim, unless she wants to punish me by the 'Lex talionis', which would
be hardly practicable without a repetition of the original offence. If
she had not liked the game, all she had to do was to give me a push which
would have sent me backwards."

"Yes, but that would have let us know what you had been trying to do."

"Well, if it comes to that, the slightest movement would have rendered
the whole process null and void; but as it was she stood in the proper
position as quiet as a lamb; nothing could be easier."