both French, which is a compliment to your accent. She said
she wished she could find out 'who was the brown man with the eyes.' I'm a
fool to have told you that though, eh? It can't do you any good, and will
probably make you worse."

"But it has done me good."

"Flattered your vanity. However, I haven't told you all yet. De la Mole
says the mother's a dragon, hard as iron, cold as steel, living for
ambition. She was left poor, on her husband's death, as the Vale-Avon
estates went with the title to a distant relative, and the girl's been
brought up to make a brilliant match. She's been given every
accomplishment under Heaven, to add to her beauty; and as the family's one
of the oldest in Great Britain, connected with royalty in one way or
another, in Stuart days, Lady's Monica's expected to pull off something
from the top branch, in the way of a marriage. De la Mole's heard that the
present Lord Vale-Avon has been first favourite with the mother up till
lately, though he's next door to an idiot. Princess Ena's engagement to
the King of Spain has changed everything. You see, Lady Vale-Avon and her
daughter live not far from the Princess, in the Isle of Wight. When the
King came a-courting to England, came also, though not exactly in his
train, another Spaniard, the Duke of Carmona, and--"

"Don't," I cut in; "I won't hear his name in connection with her's. That
half Moorish brute!"

"He may have a dash of Moorish blood, but he's not half Moorish; and if
he's a brute, he's a good-looking brute, according to de la Mole, also
he's one of the richest young men in Spain. Lady Vale-Avon--"

I jumped up and stopped Dick. "I'm in earnest," I said. "I can't bear to
listen. I know the sort of things you'd say. But don't. If you do, I think
I'll kill the fellow."

"Ever met him?"

"No. The men of my house and of his have been enemies for generations. But
I've heard of certain exploits."

"He's coming here to stop with his mother, the old Duchess, who's been
spending the winter at Biarritz. Another reason for you to vamose."

"You mean, to stay. At least, he shan't have a clear coast."

"I don't see how you can hope to block it."

"I will--somehow."

"No doubt you're a hundred times the man he is, but--fate's handicapped you
for a show place in the matrimonial market. You are--"

"A man countryless and penniless. Don't hesitate to state the case
frankly."

"Well, _you've_ said it. While the other's rich, and a gran