ve my master is so ill he could not miss anything
but his ailments! Those he would willingly dispense with. My poor
master!"

"There! Take your long, hypocritical face out of my sight!" said
Mauville, curtly, at the same time handing him the promised reward,
which Francois calmly accepted. A moment later, however, he drew
himself up.

"Monsieur has not paid for the right to libel my character," he said.

"Your character!"

"My character, Monsieur!" the valet replied firmly, and bowed in the
stateliest fashion of the old school as he backed out of the room with
grand obsequiousness. Deliberately, heavily and solidly, resounded the
echoing footsteps of Francois upon the stairway, like the going of
some substantial personage of unimpeachable rectitude.

As the front door closed sharply the land baron threw the envelope on
the table and quietly surveyed it, the remnants of his pride rising in
revolt.

"Have I then sunk so low as to read private communications or pry into
family secrets? Is it a family secret, though? Should it not become
common property? Why have they protected him? Did the marquis wish to
spare the son of an old friend? Besides"--his glance again seeking the
envelope--"it is my privilege to learn whether I have fought with a
gentleman or a renegade." But even as he meditated, he felt the
sophistry of this last argument, while through his brain ran the
undercurrent: "He has wooed her--won her, perhaps!" Passion, rather
than injured hauteur, stirred him. At the same time a great
indignation filled his breast; how Saint-Prosper had tricked her and
turned her from himself!

And moving from the mantel upon which he was leaning, Mauville strode
to the table and untied the envelope.

CHAPTER VII

A CYNICAL BARD

A dusty window looking out upon a dusty thoroughfare; a dusty room,
lighted by the dusty window, and revealing a dusty chair, a dusty
carpet and--probably--a dusty bed! Over the foot and the head of the
bed the lodger's wardrobe lay carelessly thrown. He had but to reach
up, and lo! his shirt was at hand; to reach down, and there were
collar and necktie! Presto, he was dressed, without getting out of
bed, running no risk from cold floors for cold feet, lurking tacks or
stray needles and pins! On every side appeared evidence of confusion,
or a bachelor's idea of order.

Fastened to the head-board of the bed was a box, wherein were stored
various and divers articles and things. With