“Is one an English milord, hein?  Who, then, is the other?”

“An abominable vaurien,” I answered with great heat.  “A rank villain; one who outrages all decency, breaks every law, respects no rank—­”

“Bus, bus,” cried the Colonel, in some language of his own, as he put me aside so roughly that I still feel the pain in my shoulder.  “That’ll do, my fine fellow.  Let me speak for myself, if you please.  Pardon, M. le brigadier,” he went on, saluting him politely.  “Here is my card.  I am, as you will perceive, an officer of the English army, and I appeal to you as a comrade, for I see by your decorations, no doubt richly deserved, that you are an ancien militaire.  I appeal to you for justice and protection.”

“Protection, forsooth!” I broke in, contemptuously.  “Such as the wolf and the tiger and the snake expect from their victim.”

It made me sick to hear him currying favour with the gendarme, and still worse that it was affecting the old trooper, who looked on all as pekins, mere civilians, far inferior to military men.

“Protection you shall have, mon Colonel, if you have a right to it, bien entendu,” said the sergeant, civilly but cautiously.

“I ask it because these people have made a dead set at me.  They have tried to hustle me and, I fear, to rob me, and I have been obliged to act in my own defence.”

Before I could protest against this shameless misrepresentation of the fact, my lord interposed.  He was now free, and, gradually recovering, was burning to avenge the insults put upon him.

“It is not true,” he shouted.  “It is an absolute lie.  He knows it is not true; he is perfectly well aware who I am, Lord Blackadder; and that he has no sort of grievance against me nor any of my people.  His attack upon me was altogether unprovoked and unjustifiable.”

“Let the authorities judge between us,” calmly said the Colonel.  “Take us before the station-master, or send for the Commissary from the town.  I haven’t the slightest objection.”

“Yes, yes, the Commissaire de police, the judge, the peace officer.  Let us go before the highest authorities; nothing less than arrest, imprisonment, the heaviest penalties, will satisfy me,” went on my lord.

“With all my heart,” cried the Colonel.  “We’ll refer it to any one you please.  Lead on, mon brave, only you must take all or none.  I insist upon that.  It is my right; let us all go before the Commissary.”

“There is no Commissary here in Culoz.  You must travel to Aix-les-Bains to find him.  Fifteen miles from here.”

“Well, why not?  I’m quite ready,” assented the Colonel, with an alacrity I did not understand.  I began to think he had some game of his own.

“So am I ready,” cried his lordship.  “I desire most strongly to haul this hectoring bully before the law, and let his flagrant misconduct be dealt with in a most exemplary fashion.”