r,
there are courts, there are judges for your education!!!"

Matters were apparently growing serious for me. I had evidently
offended them all desperately somehow. "You go out in the morning," he
continued, furiously, "and you do not slink back here till it is dark!
You are a coward, M'sieur! a coward!"

No Englishman likes hearing himself abused, and my own anger now was
considerably roused. But still, in my way about life, I have found the
inestimable value of conciliation. It saves one such an infinity of
trouble. I suppose I lean naturally towards it. At any rate, I always
feel this--that if you have not the power on your side it is
undignified to assume that which you cannot enforce, and if you have
the power you can then afford to be civil.

A pleasant manner has never once failed me in bringing about an effect
which is highly convenient to oneself, and in the long run it spares
one's vanity considerably. There is hardly any human being, however
aggressive he may be at first, that does not melt into respect before
an imperturbable civility. I felt in this case, too, that I was
probably in the wrong from their point of view. It was the question of
another country's ways, and I have a lenient feeling towards the
epichortyon. So, annoyed and irritated as I was, I checked my own
feelings and said,--

"I think it is altogether a misunderstanding! I have no intention of
breaking any regulations. I was not aware that a dog's death would be a
matter where the law would interfere."

The fury on the purple face opposite me subsided somewhat.

"Is it then possible," he said, more quietly, "that you are in
ignorance of our rule, that, when any animal dies in a private
dwelling-house, the fact shall be notified within twelve hours to the
police, in order that the dead body may be immediately removed?"

All eyes fixed upon me with breathless uncertainty.

"Certainly," I said, "I did not know of the regulation. If I had, I
should have complied with it. There is no similar rule in England."

A great change took place in the official's manner. His face cleared,
and he waved his arm with a gesture of magnificent condescension. His
whole attitude expressed clearly that so enlightened and cultured a
person as himself was in the habit of making every allowance for any
poor, benighted pagan like me.

"Well, M'sieur; well, I accept your statement, and I withdraw my
expressions of a moment back. But think, M'sieur, of the ri