Monsieur Montaiglon," said his Grace, pacing nervously up and
down the room before him, "this is a pretty matter. You have returned
to see my pictures somewhat sooner than I had looked for, and in no very
ceremonious circumstances."

"Truly," said the Count, with a difficult essay at meeting the man
in his own humour--"Truly, but your Grace's invitation was so
pressing--_ah! c'est grand dommage! mais--mais_--I am not, with every
consideration, in the key for badinage. M. le Duc, you behold me
exceedingly distressed at the discommoding of your household. At your
age this--"

He pulled himself up, confused a little, aware that his customary
politeness had somehow for once shamefully deserted him with no
intention on his part.

"That is to put the case with exceeding delicacy," said the Duke. "At my
age, as you have said, my personal inconvenience is of little importance
in face of the fact that a dear friend of mine may be at death's door.
At all events there is a man, if signs mislead me not, monstrously near
death under this roof, a man well liked by all that know him, a strong
man and a brave man, and a man, in his way, of genius. He goes out, as I
say, hale and hearty, and comes back bloody in your company. You came
to this part of the world, monsieur, with the deliberate intention of
killing my Chamberlain!"

"That's as Heaven, which arranges these things without consulting us,
may have decided, my lord; on my honour, I had much preferred never to
have set eyes on your Chamberlain."

"Come, come!" said the Duke with a high head and slapping with open hand
the table beside him--"Come, come! I am not a fool, Montaiglon--even at
my age. You deliberately sought this unfortunate man."

"Monsieur the Duke of Argyll has my word that it was not so," said the
Count softly.

"I fancy in that case, then, you had found him easy to avoid," said the
Duke, who was in an ir-restrainable heat. "From the first--oh, come!
sir, let us not be beating about the bush, and let us sink all these
evasions--from the first you have designed a meeting with MacTaggart,
and your every act since you came to this country has led up to this
damned business that is likely to rob me of the bravest of servants. It
was not the winds of heaven that blew you against your will into this
part of Scotland, and brought you in contact with my friend on the very
first night of your coming here."

"And still, M. le Duc, with infinite deference, and a co