ball. We had accepted invitations for this
evening to the house of a banker, one of the most prominent men in our
province. My pride having been touched to the quick, I determined to
seek solace in the wildest excitement. I flirted with the only son
of this banker, who all through the winter had been very attentive
to me. I felt much pleasure in showing Lord William how easily I
could forget him; but my eyes were all the while furtively following
him to see the effect my conduct might produce. He remained calm and
cool as ever. After a while he seated himself at the card-table, and
lost a considerable sum of money to my grandfather. On the morrow,
I perceived preparations were being made for his departure in all
haste. Lord William had received the letters he had so long expected,
and seemed to have no time to notice me. I became transported with
passion, when my father told me at luncheon that the banker's son had
asked permission to wait upon me in the course of the afternoon. You
can understand my rage. 'What a falling-off was there!'--from Lord
William to a Charles Felters!

"I answered my father that I would not speak to the simpleton.

"'You must!' he replied, in a tone of authority I was little accustomed
to in Sir John. 'You have given the young man encouragement, and you
had better reflect on the consequences of refusing such a good offer.'"

CHAPTER XXV.

"Poor Charles Felters was quite thunderstruck at the reception
I gave him. His gay partner of last evening's dance had changed
into a veritable fury. I told him plainly I didn't care a jot for
him. He hesitated, he stammered, and couldn't make up his mind to
go. I was expecting Lord William every moment to take leave of me,
and I would not have them meet. In my confusion my eyes rested on a
'trophy of arms' with which my father had decorated one side of the
room. Scarcely knowing what I was about, I seized a foil, handed it
to my would-be lover, and taking another myself, I took up my position
on guard, exclaiming--

"'The man who wins my love shall win it with the sword.'

"The miserable ninny never even observed that the foils were buttoned,
but, throwing down his, rushed out of the room in the greatest alarm."

"I have heard of this feat of arms, Francis," I said, laughing;
"and, moreover, that Felters is still running away from you."

"'Voila comme on ecrit l'histoire.' I have myself heard he made a
voyage round the world to escape