If you like, however, I
will speak to him."
"Speak to him!" M. de Saintonge cried. He was breathless with
rage. He could say no more. It may be imagined how unpalatable
my answer was to him.
But I was not disposed to endure his presumption and ill-temper
beyond a certain point; and feeling no sympathy with him in a
difficulty which he had brought upon himself by his spitefulness,
I answered him roundly. "Yes," I said," I will speak to him, if
you please. But not otherwise. I can assure you, I should not
do it for everyone."
But M. de Saintonge's chagrin and rage at finding himself thus
rebuffed, in a quarter where his haughty temper had led him to
expect an easy compliance, would not allow him to stoop to my
offer. He flung away with expressions of the utmost resentment,
and even in the hearing of my servants uttered so many foolish
and violent things against me, that had my discretion been no
greater than his I must have taken notice of them. As, however,
I had other and more important affairs upon my hands, and it has
never been my practice to humour such hot-heads by placing myself
on a level with them, I was content to leave his punishment to
St.
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