The woman indeed, fell back to her children, but the rest looked on open-mouthed.

Had they stirred, or had a moment's hurly-burly heated his blood, I doubt not Fresnoy would have taken up my challenge, for he did not lack hardihood.

But as it was, face to face with me in the silence, his courage failed him.

He paused, glowering at me uncertainly, and did not speak.
'Well,' I said, 'don't you think that if I pay I ought to give orders, sir ?' 'Who wishes to oppose your orders ?' he muttered, drinking off a bumper, and sitting down with an air of impudent bravado, assumed to hide his discomfiture.
'If you don't, no one else does,' I answered.

So that is settled.
Landlord, some more wine.' He was very sulky with me for a while, fingering his glass in silence and scowling at the table.