It was no wonder that his jaw fell and
his impudent face burned; for the room shook with such a roar of
laughter, at first low, and then as the King joined in it,
swelling louder and louder, as few of us had ever heard, Though I
was not a little mortified by the way in which we had deceived
ourselves, I could not help joining in the laugh; particularly as
the more closely we reviewed the scene in which we had taken
part, the more absurd seemed the jest. It was long before
silence could be obtained; but at length Henry, quite exhausted
by the violence of his mirth held up his hand. I seized the
opportunity.
"Why, you rascal!" I said, addressing La Trape, who did not know
which way to look, "where are the ten crowns of which you
defrauded the scullion?"
"To be sure," the King said, going off into another roar. "And
the third puppy?"
"Yes," I said, "you scoundrel; and the third puppy?"
"Ay, and the gipsy girl?" the King continued. "The butler's
wench, what of her? And of your evil living? Begone, begone,
rascal!" he continued, falling into a fresh paroxysm, "or you
will kill US in earnest.
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