as if shot, the knife,
flying from his hand, clattering on the pavement several yards away.
Cuthbert stood for a moment prepared to strike again if the man rose,
but as he made no movement he turned on his heel and walked on.

"It would serve him right if I were to give the scoundrel in charge for
attempted murder," he said, "but it would give me no end of bother. It
would not be worth the trouble, and he has been pretty well punished. I
have cut my knuckles, and I imagine that when he comes to be will find
himself minus some of his teeth. I wonder what his object was robbery, I
suppose and yet it is hardly likely that the fellow would have singled
me out and decided to kill me on the off chance of finding something
worth taking. He could not have seen that I have a watch on, for my
greatcoat is buttoned. It is more like an act of private revenge, but I
have never given anyone of that class any reason to dislike me.
Cartainly the man followed me for some distance, for I have heard the
steps behind me ever since I turned off into these quiet streets.

"By the way," he exclaimed, suddenly, "I should not be at all surprised
if he took me for Dampierre. We are about the same height, and although
I am a good many inches wider than he is, that might not be noticed in
the dark. If the fellow was watching outside the door, and had known
nothing of there being another man of the same height in the house, he
might very well have taken me for Arnold. He spends half his time up at
Montmartre, and may likely enough have given offence to some of the
ruffians up there; when he is not in a pleasant temper he does not mind
what he says. Possibly, too, the fellow may be an admirer of Minette,
and the thing may be this outcome of jealousy. At any rate I will tell
him in the morning about the affair and let him take warning by it if he
chooses."

Accordingly, next morning he waited outside in the street for Arnold,
who was generally the last to arrive at the studio.

"Rather an unpleasant thing happened yesterday evening, Dampierre. I was
followed from here and attacked suddenly in one of the back streets
leading up to the Boulevards. I had heard footsteps behind me for a
little time and had a vague sort of idea that I was being followed. The
fellow ran up suddenly and I had just time to turn and hit out. He was
in the act of striking with a knife, and if I had been a second later he
would probably have settled me. As it was I knocked h