"
"Ragamufins would be appreciated by Monsieur Valmond's followers, spoken
at the four corners," she answered.
"Then I'll change it," he said: "a ragamuffin and his filibusters."
"The 'ragamuffin' always speaks of his enemies with courtesy, and the
filibusters love their leader," was her pointed rejoinder.
"At half a dollar a day," he answered sharply.
"They get that much from His Excellency, do they?" she asked in real
surprise. "That doesn't look like filibustering, does it?"
"'His Excellency!'" he retorted. "Why won't you look this matter straight
in the face? Napoleon or no Napoleon, the end of this thing is ruin."
"Take care that you don't get lost in the debris," she said bitingly.
"I can take care of myself. I am sorry to have you mixed up in it."
"You are sorry? How good of you! How paternal!"
"If your husband were here--"
"If my husband were here, you would probably be his best friend," she
rejoined, with acid sweetness; "and I should still have to take care of
myself."
Had he no sense of what was possible to leave unsaid to a woman? She was
very angry, though she was also a little sorry for him; for perhaps in
the long run he would be in the right.
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