t in the frank avowal of
confidence and friendship which smote upon a chord of honor in the man's
soul that had not vibrated in response to a chivalrous impulse for so
many long years that it had near atrophied from disuse.

Then, of a sudden, the second officer of the Halfmoon straightened to
his full height. His head went high, and he took the small hand of the
girl in his own strong, brown one.

"Miss Harding," he said, "I have led a hard, bitter life. I have not
always done those things of which I might be most proud: but there
have been times when I have remembered that I am the grandson of one of
Napoleon's greatest field marshals, and that I bear a name that has been
honored by a mighty nation. What you have just said to me recalls these
facts most vividly to my mind--I hope, Miss Harding, that you will never
regret having spoken them," and to the bottom of his heart the man meant
what he said, at the moment; for inherent chivalry is as difficult to
suppress or uproot as is inherent viciousness.

The girl let her hand rest in his for a moment, and as their eyes met
she saw in his a truth and honesty and cleanness which revealed
what Theriere might have been had Fate ordained his young manhood to
different channels. And in that moment a question sprang, all unbidden
and unforeseen to her mind; a question which caused her to withdraw her
hand quickly from his, and which sent a slow crimson to her cheek.

Billy Byrne, slouching by, cast a bitter look of hatred upon the two.
The fact that he had saved Theriere's life had not increased his love
for that gentleman. He was still much puzzled to account for the strange
idiocy that had prompted him to that act; and two of his fellows had
felt the weight of his mighty fist when they had spoken words of rough
praise for his heroism--Billy had thought that they were kidding him.

To Billy the knocking out of Theriere, and the subsequent kick which
he had planted in the unconscious man's face, were true indications of
manliness. He gauged such matters by standards purely Grand Avenuesque
and now it enraged him to see that the girl before whose very eyes he
had demonstrated his superiority over Theriere should so look with favor
upon the officer.

It did not occur to Billy that he would care to have the girl look with
favor upon him. Such a thought would have sent him into a berserker
rage; but the fact remained that Billy felt a strong desire to cut out
Theriere's heart