"We are still simple enough to say 'citizen' and 'citizeness' in these parts." "Ah!" exclaimed the young man, in a natural way, and without seeming at all annoyed.
Players of ecarte often have a sense of inward disaster when some unknown person sits down at the same table with them, whose manners, look, voice, and method of shuffling the cards, all, to their fancy, foretell defeat.

The instant Michu looked at the young man he felt an inward and prophetic collapse.

He was struck by a fatal presentiment; he had a sudden confused foreboding of the scaffold.

A voice told him that that dandy would destroy him, although there was nothing whatever in common between them.

For this reason his answer was rude; he was and he wished to be forbidding.
"Don't you belong to the Councillor of State, Malin ?" said the younger man.
"I am my own master," answered Malin.
"Mesdames," said the young man, assuming a most polite air, "are we not at Gondreville?
We are expected there by Monsieur Malin." "There's the park," said Michu, pointing to the open gate.
"Why are you hiding that gun, my fine girl ?" said the elder, catching sight of the carbine as he passed through the gate.
"You never let a chance escape you, even in the country!" cried his companion.
They both turned back with a sense of distrust which the bailiff understood at once in spite of their impassible faces.