For about half a minute they stood looking at each other. Léon shouted, “Lâche! Lâche!”--he forgot to speak English, he was so excited--then, “En garde!”--and there seemed a thousand _r_s in that _garde_--and he sprang on Fred, who went down like a ninepin.
Eric vaulted the gate, yelling excitedly, “By Jove! the kid can box.”
Jennie laid down the eggs on the grass, and hid her face in her hands. But she looked through her fingers. I saw her.
In another minute Fred was upon his feet. He was bigger than any of us--even Eric. Léon went at him again, calling out what we supposed to be battle-cries in French, and I do believe that the French alarmed Fred as much as the pommelling. Anyway, down he went again, with Léon on the top of him.
“Time!” shouted Eric, picking upon Léon and wiping his face, which was hard to see, for his nose was bleeding and one eye was swollen.
But Fred got up and began to walk away, remarking with surly dignity:
“I don’t care for to fight with no French tiger-cats.”
Léon broke away from Eric, and ran after his late foe. Fred stopped and took up a defensive attitude, but Léon went up with his grubby right hand held out.
“Shake!” he cried. “We have foughten; it is over. Shake with me?” And Fred shook. “That was quite English?” asked Léon anxiously, as he came back to be cleaned.
Eric looked at him very kindly. “It was all right,” he said; and Léon squared his shoulders with modest pride.
“I never saw such a nose to bleed!” exclaimed Eric, ten minutes later, as the last available handkerchief had been reduced to a crimson, pulpy ball. “There’s one sash done for, anyway. I suppose the suit’ll wash, which is a pity.”
On the way home Eric carried the eggs, and Jennie walked hand in hand with Léon. They rather lagged behind, and presently I heard Jennie whisper--I have very sharp ears:
“My little cousin, I do not see you lame at all, except when you are fatigued; and we all of us walk badly when we are fatigued;” and he stopped and kissed Jennie on both cheeks.
I had often heard that the French say what is pleasant at the expense of what is true; but just then I wondered if it was always such a bad thing, for when I turned and looked at my little sister her face was perfectly radiant, and she was hardly limping at all.