"Vhat you vanted mit me? I vas by dot librair' going. For vhat you moof
dot putterfly-net fon t'e mandtelpiece? You make me _too_ much troubple to
find dot vhen I vas in a hurry!" He shook it at me.

"Hurry!" In my anger and distress I laughed. "My friend"--laying a hand on
him--"you'll hurry across the street with me."

He waved me off. "Yes; go on, you; I coom py undt py; I dtink t'ere iss
vun maud come into dot gardten, vhat I haf not pefore seen since more as
acht years, alreadty!"

"Yes," I retorted, "and so you're here at the gate alone. Now come right
along with me! Aren't there enough lives in danger to-night, but you must"
-He stopped me in the middle of the street.

"Mine Gott! vhat iss dot you say? Who--_who_--mine Gott! _who_ iss her
life in dtanger? Iss dot--mine Gott! is dot he-ere?" He pointed to Mrs.
Fontenette's front window.

I could hardly keep my fist off him. "Hush! you--For one place it's
_here_." I pushed him with my finger.

"Ach!" he exclaimed in infinite relief. "I dt'ought you mean--I--I
dt'ought--hmm!--hmm! I am dtired." He leaned on me like a sick child and
we went into the cottage parlor. The moment he saw the lounge he lay down
upon it, or I should have taken him back into the dining-room.

"Sha'n't I put that net away for you?" I murmured, as I dropped a light
covering over him.