Page:Cuthbert Bede--Little Mr Bouncer and Tales of College Life.djvu/217

Rh expressive pantomime, but damped in intelligibility by a strong infusion of a language that is utterly unknown to one of the contracting parties. It was evident to Mr. Bouncer, that Madame was protesting to Auguste that she should be desolated by the loss of her cherished Alphonse; and it was equally evident to him—more, however, by gesture than by words—that Monsieur was expostulating with his charming Thérèse, and demonstrating to her, with voluble eloquence, that the young man from the country would amply compensate them for the loss of a troublesome pig of a dog. Eventually, Mossoo gained the day; gold triumphed over affection; and Mr. Bouncer was made aware that the small French poodle could become his property, in exchange for the sovereigns that he had laid upon the counter. Madame caught up Alphonse, and embraced him with effusion, while Mr. Bouncer discreetly turned his head and placed his hat upon it; whereupon, in consequence of the close cropping that he had undergone, it slipped down to his eyes.

Hallo! thought the little gentleman; Mossoo 's mowed me so short that my tile's too big for my head. It's a regular case of Box and Cox; and I might exclaim with Mr. Cox, the journeyman hatter—"I 've half a mind to register an oath that I 'll never have my hair cut again! I look as if I had just been cropped for the militia; and I was particularly emphatic in my instructions to the hairdresser only to cut the ends off. He must have thought I meant the other ends!" Mossoo has evidently cut the other ends; and, like Mr. Cox, my hat that fitted me quite tight before, now slips over my eyes; but, unlike Mr. Cox, I have not got two or three other hats; so, I shall have to buy a new one.