same breath of a voice, and still without opening his eyes, he bade me
remain.

"It is well," said Alain. "I cannot then go on to remind you of the
twenty years that have passed over our heads in England, and the
services I may have rendered you in that time. It would be a position
too odious. Your lordship knows me too well to suppose I could stoop to
such ignominy. I must leave out all my defence--your lordship wills it
so! I do not know what are my faults; I know only my punishment, and it
is greater than I have the courage to face. My uncle, I implore your
pity: pardon me so far; do not send me for life into a debtors' gaol--a
pauper debtor."

"_Chat et vieux, pardonnez?_" said my uncle, quoting from La Fontaine;
and then, opening a pale-blue eye full on Alain, he delivered with some
emphasis:

"La jeunesse se flatte et croit tout obtenir;
La vieillesse est impitoyable."

The blood leaped darkly into Alain's face. He turned to Romaine and me,
and his eyes flashed.

"It is your turn now," he said. "At least it shall be prison for prison
with the two viscounts."

"Not so, Mr. Alain, by your leave," said Romaine. "There are a few
formalities to be considered first."

But Alain was already striding towards the door.

"Stop a moment, stop a moment!" cried Romaine. "Remember your own
counsel not to despise an adversary."

Alain turned.

"If I do not despise I hate you!" he cried, giving a loose to his
passion. "Be warned of that, both of you."

"I understand you to threaten Monsieur le Vicomte Anne," said the
lawyer. "Do you know, I would not do that. I am afraid, I am very much
afraid, if you were to do as you propose, you might drive me into
extremes."

"You have made me a beggar and a bankrupt," said Alain. "What extreme is
left?"

"I scarce like to put a name upon it in this company," replied Romaine.
"But there are worse things than even bankruptcy, and worse places than
a debtors' gaol."

The words were so significantly said that there went a visible thrill
through Alain; sudden as a sword-stroke, he fell pale again.

"I do not understand you," said he.

"O yes, you do," returned Romaine. "I believe you understand me very
well. You must not suppose that all this time, while you were so very
busy, others were entirely idle. You must not fancy, because I am an
Englishman, that I have not the intelligence to pursue an inquiry. Great
as is my regard for the honour of your house, M. Alain de