Meanwhile poor Quelch was taken before a pompous individual with
an extra large moustache and a double allowance of gold lace on
his cap and charged not only with defrauding the revenue, but with
forcibly resisting an officer in the execution of his duty. The
accusation being in French, Quelch did not understand a word of
it, and in his ignorance took it for granted that he was accused of
stealing the strange bag and its contents. Visions of imprisonment,
penal servitude, nay, even capital punishment, floated before his
bewildered brain. Finally the official with the large moustache
made a speech to him in French, setting forth that for his dishonest
attempt to smuggle he must pay a fine of a hundred francs. With
regard to the assault on the official, as said official was not
much hurt, he graciously agreed to throw that in and make no charge
for it. When he had fully explained matters to his own satisfaction
he waited to receive the answer of the prisoner; but none was
forthcoming, for the best of reasons. It finally dawned on the
official that Quelch might not understand French, and he therefore
proceeded to address him in what he considered to be his native
tongue.
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