For,
of a certainty, he was not going to allow Nance to be made miserable by
his loutish insolences.
He had climbed the cutting and was on the level, when he heard heavy
footsteps coming towards him, and the next moment he was face to face
with the object of his thoughts.
Possibly Tom had expected to meet him and had been preparing for the
fray, for he opened at once with a volley of patois which to Gard was so
much blank cartridge.
"Oh--ho, le velas--corrupteur! Amuseur! Seducteur! Ou quais noutre
fille? Quais qu'on avait fait d'elle d'on?"
"Quite finished?" asked Gard quietly, as the other came to a stop for
want of breath. "Say it all over again in English, and I'll know what
you're talking about."
"English be----!" he broke out afresh, in a turgid mixture of tongues.
"Seducteur, amuseur! Where's our Nance? Gaderabotin, what have you done
with the girl? I know you, corrupteur! Running after men's wives--and
our Nance, too! See then--you touch la garche and I'll--"
"See here! We've had enough of this," said Gard, gripping him by the
shoulders and shaking him.
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