. It is that I am overwhelmed
by the unusual honour."

He looked into her piquant little face, and noted how obscured it was by
its cloud of dignity. He laughed.

"Perhaps I feared that the honour was not sought."

"Ah, now I understand," she cried. "It is for me to seek these honours.
I am to woo a man before he will pay me the homage of civility. It must
be so, since you, who clearly know everything, have said so. It remains
for me to beg your pardon for my ignorance."

"It amuses you to be cruel," said Scaramouche. "No matter. Shall we
walk?"

They set out together, stepping briskly to warm their blood against
the wintry evening air. Awhile they went in silence, yet each furtively
observing the other.

"And so, you find me cruel?" she challenged him at length, thereby
betraying the fact that the accusation had struck home.

He looked at her with a half smile. "Will you deny it?"

"You are the first man that ever accused me of that."

"I dare not suppose myself the first man to whom you have been cruel.
That were an assumption too flattering to myself. I must prefer to think
that the others suffered in silence."

"Mon Dieu! Have you suffered?" She was between seriousness and raillery.

"I place the confession as an offering on the altar of your vanity."

"I should never have suspected it."

"How could you? Am I not what your father calls a natural actor? I was
an actor long before I became Scaramouche. Therefore I have laughed. I
often do when I am hurt. When you were pleased to be disdainful, I acted
disdain in my turn."

"You acted very well," said she, without reflecting.

"Of course. I am an excellent actor."

"And why this sudden change?"

"In response to the change in you. You have grown weary of your part of
cruel madam--a dull part, believe me, and unworthy of your talents. Were
I a woman and had I your loveliness and your grace, Climene, I should
disdain to use them as weapons of offence."

"Loveliness and grace!" she echoed, feigning amused surprise. But the
vain baggage was mollified. "When was it that you discovered this beauty
and this grace, M. Scaramouche?"

He looked at her a moment, considering the sprightly beauty of her, the
adorable femininity that from the first had so irresistibly attracted
him.

"One morning when I beheld you rehearsing a love-scene with Leandre."

He caught the surprise that leapt to her eyes, before she veiled them
under drooping lids from his too qu