He still carried his arm in a sling.
"Does your hand still pain you ?" his mother asked him, ironically.
He blushed as he answered with some embarrassment: "Oh! it's getting better; it's nearly well again now." Then he lingered there, loitering about and not knowing what to say.
Felicite came to the rescue.

"I suppose you've heard them talking about your father's noble conduct ?" she resumed.
He replied that the whole town was talking of it.

And then, as he regained his self-possession, he paid his mother back for her raillery in her own coin.

Looking her full in the face he added: "I came to see if father was wounded." "Come, don't play the fool!" cried Felicite, petulantly.

"If I were you I would act boldly and decisively.