"Hmm, oui, he does seem to take a certain amount of joy in the whole thing." Which disturbed Clopin. What would happen if he stopped provoking the master one day? Who would catch the fury of the man's sadism? The question kept him acting out. At least this way, he knew who would get hurt. "Perhaps you have a point, but still, it wouldn't kill him to smile once in a while. The man acts like he's always at a funeral."
That gave him pause. His expression flickered, his eyes glancing back. "Don't try it, mon ami. He's in a mood, and he'll be keeping an eye on us." That was one thing he couldn't stand. He hated it when his friend got whipped. He could deal with getting whipped himself, but he hated the Doctor being punished... especially for his sake.
Clopin did his best to bite back any more sounds. He just bit his tongue, giving the Doctor a nod. "Merci, mon cher." It was sincere thanks, both for his support and his continued help with his wounds. He didn't know what he would have done if his friend weren't with him, but he probably would have died a while.