ard. Once or twice he thrust in a manner which was not in
accord with the rules.

"And that interesting dissertation on the American gentleman?" she said
icily, putting aside each thrust with a parry of this kind.

"That's the trouble with posing as a moralist; one must live up to the
precepts. Would you believe me if I told you that, at the age of
three-and-thirty, I am still heart-whole?"

She parried: "I trust you will not spoil that excellent record by making
love to me." She reached for the matches, touched off one, watched it
burn for a moment, extinguished it, and then deliberately drew a line
across the center of the table-cloth.

[Illustration: She deliberately drew a line across the centre of the
table-cloth]

"Now what might that represent?" he asked curiously.

"A line, Mr. Hillard. The moment you cross that line, that moment you
leave this house. On guard!"

"Come, that is not brave. You can retreat till your shoulders touch the
mat, but I must stand this side of the line, unable to reach you. And
you have the advantage of the mask besides. You are not a fair fencer."

"The odds should be in my favor. I am a woman. My wrist is not so strong
as yours."

"Physically, of course, I may pass the line; to reach the salt, for
instance. Will that be against the rules?"

"To a certain extent, no."

"You make it very hard. You have put temptation in my path."

"Bid Satan get behind thee."

"But supposing he should take it into his head to--shoulder me forward?"

"In that case, under the new rules, I should referee the matter."

"I wish I knew the color of your eyes. Behind those holes I see nothing
but points of fire, no color. Are they blue, brown, grey?"

"They are blue. But supposing I wear this mask because my face is
dreadfully scarred, and that I have some vanity?"

"Vanity, yes; but scars, never; at least never so deep as you yourself
can make. You do not wear that mask to cover defects, but out of mercy
to me."

And so the duel went on. Sometimes the heat of the mask almost
suffocated her, and she could hardly resist the desire to tear it from
her face. Yet, in spite of this discomfort, she was enjoying herself.
This adventure was as novel to her as it was to him. Once she rose and
approached the window, slyly raising the mask and breathing deeply of
the cold air which rushed in through the crevices. When she turned she
found that he, too, had risen. He was looking at the steins, one of