The notary's nose;

38 THE NOTARY'S NOSE.
against M. l'Ambert's fist? He struck met
and the proof is that he offers to apologize.
But what's the use of words when blood
is spilt? Can I forget that Victorine and
her mother were witnesses to my shame?
0 my friends, there is nothing left for me
to do but die, if I cannot cut the rascal's
nose off to-day! "
Nolens volens, their negotiations had
to be renewed on this somewhat ridiculous
basis. Ahmed and the dragoman had
minds reasonable enough to blame their
friend, but hearts too generous to leave
him in the lurch. If the ambassador
Hamza-Pacha had happened to be in Paris,
he would have undoubtedly stopped the
affair by some stroke of authority; but unfortunately he held the two embassies of
France and England, and was in London.
The good Ayvaz' friends flew like shuttles
between the Rue de Grenelle and the Rue de
Vernuil until seven o'clock in the morning,