THE PURVEYOR’S STORY. 201

sight that infamous man.’ ‘Alas, madam,’ I exclaimed, ‘how
can I possibly have deservedly incurred your anger ?’ ‘ You are
a villain, said she, in the greatest rage. ‘You have eaten of
garlic, and have not washed your hands. Do you think I will
suffer a man who can be guilty of so dirty and so filthy a neg-
ligence to approach me? Lay him on the ground, she added,
speaking to the women, ‘and bring meawhip. They imme-
diately threw me down ; and while some held me by the arms,
and others by the feet, my wife, who had been very diligently
attended to, beat me without the least mercy, as long as she
had any strength remaining. She then said to the females,
‘Take him to an officer of the police, and order him to cut off
that hand with which he fed himself with the garlic ragout.’

“ At these words I exclaimed, ‘ Merciful Heaven ! I have been
beaten and whipped, and to complete my misfortune I am still
further punished by having my hand cut off ; and all for what ?
Because I have eaten of a ragout made with garlic, and have
forgotten to wash my hands! What a trifling cause for such

_anger and revenge! Plague on the garlic ragout! I wish that
the cook that made it, and the slave that served it up, were all
at the bottom of the sea’?

“‘ Every one of the women, however, who were present, and
had seen me already so severely punished, pitied me very much
when they heard the favourite talk of having my hand cut off.
‘My dear sister, and my good lady, said they to her, ‘do not
carry your resentment so far. It is true that he is a man who
does not understand how to conduct himself, and whe seems
ignorant of the respect due to your rank. We entreat you,
however, not to take any further notice of the fault he has com-
mitted, but to pardon him.” ‘I am not yet satisfied, she cried ;
‘I wish to teach him how to live, and that he should bear such
powerful marks of his ill-breeding that he will never forget as
long as he lives.’ They were not discouraged by this refusal ;
they threw themselves at her feet, and kissing her hand, ‘My
good lady,’ they cried, ‘pray moderate your anger, and grant us
the favour we ask of you” She did not answer them a single
word, but got up, and after abusing me again, went out of the
apartment. All the women followed her, and left me quite alone
in the greatest affliction imaginable.

“| remained here ten days without ever creine a soul except