"If it had been a blackthorn stick, it would have hurt you much more."
The gentleman did not seem to be consoled by that reflection; he paid no attention to the cane, but was intent only upon rubbing the wounded part of his anatomy. Then he ordered a glass of grog, picked up a newspaper, and began to read, in evident ill-humor. But Cherami, who loved to converse, kept on talking while he ate.
"I went into a public house one day," he said; "I had ridden horseback six leagues without dismounting, and was naturally very tired. I walked into the common-room, and threw myself into an easy-chair near the fireplace. But as I sat down, a piercing shriek escaped me. Everybody crowded around me: 'What is it, monsieur? what's the matter? what has happened to you?'--But I could only point to my posterior, saying: 'I don't know what I sat down on, but I am wounded--badly wounded!'--The hostess wanted to look and see what it was--she wanted to dress the wound. She was a bright-eyed hussy, with a buxom figure. I would gladly have done as much for her, if she had been wounded. But the husband interposed, considering the location of the wound. He declared that he was the only one of the family who ought to meddle with it. Well, they investigated.--I had sat down on a nail, a huge carpenter's nail. How did it happen to be there--with the point up? That is something nobody could explain. But the important thing was to remove it. The landlord couldn't do it. He sent for a locksmith with his pincers, and he had such hard work pulling the infernal spike out of my rump, that, when he did get it out, it looked more like a corkscrew than a nail!"
The bald party made no other comment on this story than a low grunt, and continued to read his newspaper.
Cherami scrutinized him for some minutes, saying to himself: "Where in the devil have I seen that phiz? I can't remember, but this certainly isn't the first time that I have had the misfortune to meet this bald-headed boor.--It seems that the story of my nail didn't affect you, monsieur?" he said aloud to his neighbor, who was stirring his grog.
"I paid very little attention to it, monsieur. When I am reading the paper, I am engrossed by my reading."