“And, a little later, when M. de La Borderie went up to M. Richard, didn’t you see M. Moncharmin fling himself between them and hear him exclaim, ‘ M. l’ambassadeur , I entreat you not to touch M. le directeur ’?”

“It’s terrible!⁠ ⁠… And what was Richard doing meanwhile?”

“What was he doing? Why, you saw him! He turned about, bowed in front of him, though there was nobody in front of him , and withdrew backward .”