h his hands
buried in the pockets of his breeches, his manner and attitude once more
calm, debonnair, expressive of lofty self-possession and of absolute
indifference. He came quite close to the meagre little figure of his
exultant enemy, thereby forcing the latter to look up at him.

"Oh!... ah!... yes!" he said airily, "I had nigh forgotten... you were
talking of a bargain... my share of it... eh?... Is it me you want?...
Do you wish to see me in your Paris prisons?... I assure you, sir, that
the propinquity of drunken soldiers may disgust me, but it would in no
way disturb the equanimity of my temper."

"I am quite sure of that, Sir Percy--and I can but repeat what I had the
honour of saying to Lady Blakeney just now--I do not desire the death of
so accomplished a gentleman as yourself."

"Strange, Monsieur," retorted Blakeney, with a return of his accustomed
flippancy. "Now I do desire your death very strongly indeed--there would
be so much less vermin on the face of the earth.... But pardon me--I was
interrupting you.... Will you be so kind as to proceed?"

Chauvelin had not winced at the insult. His enemy's attitude now left
him completely indifferent. He had seen that self-possessed man of
the world, that dainty and fastidious dandy, in the throes of an
overmastering passion. He had very nearly paid with his life for the
joy of having roused that supercilious and dormant lion. In fact he was
ready to welcome any insults from Sir Percy Blakeney now, since these
would be only additional evidences that the Englishman's temper was not
yet under control.

"I will try to be brief, Sir Percy," he said, setting himself the
task of imitating his antagonist's affected manner. "Will you not sit
down?... We must try and discuss these matters like two men of the
world.... As for me, I am always happiest beside a board littered with
papers.... I am not an athlete, Sir Percy... and serve my country with
my pen rather than with my fists."

Whilst he spoke he had reached the table and once more took the chair
whereon he had been sitting lately, when he dreamed the dreams which
were so near realization now. He pointed with a graceful gesture to the
other vacant chair, which Blakeney took without a word.

"Ah!" said Chauvelin with a sigh of satisfaction, "I see that we are
about to understand one another.... I have always felt it was a pity,
Sir Percy, that you and I could not discuss certain matters pleasantly
with one ano