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To be sure, neither the housekeeper nor the parish priest had

ever believed these deductions of the Seneschal, but held quite

different views as to the nature of flies; the Seneschal,

however, did not waver from his ancient habit; whenever he caught

sight of such a fly he immediately pursued it. Just at that

moment a "gentleman" trumpeted above his ear; twice the Seneschal

swung at it, and to his amazement missed; a third time he swung

at it, and almost knocked out a window. At last the fly,

bewildered by such an uproar, seeing on the threshold two people

that barred his retreat, threw itself in desperation between

their faces. Even there the right hand of the Seneschal darted in

pursuit of it; the blow was so violent that the two heads sprang

apart like the two halves of a tree torn asunder by a

thunderbolt; both bumped against the doorposts so violently that

they got black and blue spots.