" Let
him alone. LE BON DIEU knows that such a thing may happen to the
best of us."
The Mayor clapped his hand to his head. "Sir," he said almost
humbly, addressing the last speaker, "I seem to know your voice.
Your name, if you please?"
"Fracasse," he answered pleasantly. "I am Mayor of Gol."
"You--Fracasse, Mayor of Gol?" Grabot exclaimed between rage and
terror. "But Fracasse is a tall man. I know him as well as I
know my brother."
The pseudo-Fracasse smiled, but did not contradict him.
The Mayor wiped the moisture from his brow. He had all the
characteristics of an obstinate man; but if there is one thing
which I have found in a long career more true than another, it is
that no one can resist the statements of his fellows. So much, I
verily believe, is this the case, that if ten men maintain black
to be white, the eleventh will presently be brought into their
opinion. Besides, the Mayor had a currish side. He looked
piteously from one to another of us, his cheeks seemed to grow in
a moment pale and flabby, and he was on the point of whimpering,
when at the last moment he bethought him of his servant, and
turned to him in a spurt of sudden thankfulness.
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