One day he concealed his fury, which was ready to explode, under a full dress suit and sent in his card to Mademoiselle Dolores.
When she beheld him enter, arrayed almost as he would have been to present himself before Queen Victoria, she at first thought it must be Hoffmann, in his part of Lord Spleen; and wishing to be civil to a fellow artist, she offered him some breakfast.
The Englishman understood French.

He had learned it in twenty five lessons from a Spanish refugee.

Accordingly he replied: "I accept your invitation on condition of our eating this disagreeable bird," and he pointed to the cage of the parrot, who, having smelled an Englishman, saluted him by whistling "God Save the King." Dolores thought her neighbor was quizzing her, and was beginning to get angry, when Mr.Birne added: "As I am very rich, I will buy the animal.

Put your price on it." Dolores answered that she valued the bird, and liked it, and would not wish to see it pass into the hands of another.
"Oh, it's not in my hands I want to put it," replied the Englishman, "But under my feet--so--," and he pointed to the heels of his boots.
Dolores shuddered with indignation and would probably have broken out, when she perceived on the Englishman's finger a ring, the diamond of which represented an income of twenty five hundred francs.

The discovery was like a shower bath to her rage.