was seen that the colonel, still very white, was
holding the child by the hand, as she shrank back wonderingly and a
little frightened against him.

"I thank YOU, Mr. Hamlin," said the colonel in a lower voice--yet with a
slight touch of his habitual stateliness in it, "for being here to bear
witness, in the presence of this child, to my unqualified statement that
a more foul, vile, and iniquitous falsehood never was uttered than that
which has been poured into her innocent ears!" He paused, walked to the
door, still holding her hand, and, as Mr. Hamlin stepped aside, opened
it, told her to await him in the public parlor, closed the door again,
and once more faced the two men. "And," he continued more deliberately,
"for the infamous jests that you, Judge Beeswinger, and you, Mr.
Wynyard, have dared to pass in her presence and mine, I shall expect
from each of you the fullest satisfaction--personal satisfaction. My
seconds will wait on you in the morning!"

The two men stood up sobered--yet belligerent.

"As you like, sir," said Beeswinger, flashing.

"The sooner the better for me," added Wynyard curtly.

They passed the unruffled Jack Hamlin with a smile and a vaguely
significant air, as if calling him as a witness to the colonel's
madness, and strode out of the room.

As the door closed behind them, Mr. Hamlin lightly settled his white
waistcoat, and, with his hands on his hips, lounged towards the colonel.
"And THEN?" he said quietly.

"Eh?" said the colonel.

"After you've shot one or both of these men, or one of 'em has knocked
you out, what's to become of that child?"

"If--I am--er--spared, sir," said the colonel huskily, "I shall continue
to defend her--against calumny and sneers"--

"In this style, eh? After her life has been made a hell by her
association with a man of your reputation, you propose to whitewash it
by a quarrel with a couple of drunken scallawags like Beeswinger and
Wynyard, in the presence of three painted trollops and a d----d scamp
like myself! Do you suppose this won't be blown all over California
before she can be sent back to school? Do you suppose those cackling
hussies in the next room won't give the whole story away to the next man
who stands treat?" (A fine contempt for the sex in general was one of
Mr. Hamlin's most subtle attractions for them.)

"Nevertheless, sir," stammered the colonel, "the prompt punishment of
the man who has dared"--

"Punishment!" interrupted Haml