zyr's face thrust
farther forward than usual from the shadows of his box, and it was a
face set in anger, with eyes on fire.

"Mon Dieu!" laughed Rhodomont, recovering from the real scare that had
succeeded his histrionic terror, "but you have a great trick of tickling
them in the right place, Scaramouche."

Scaramouche looked up at him and smiled. "It can be useful upon
occasion," said he, and went off to his dressing-room to change.

But a reprimand awaited him. He was delayed at the theatre by matters
concerned with the scenery of the new piece they were to mount upon the
morrow. By the time he was rid of the business the rest of the company
had long since left. He called a chair and had himself carried back
to the inn in solitary state. It was one of many minor luxuries his
comparatively affluent present circumstances permitted.

Coming into that upstairs room that was common to all the troupe, he
found M. Binet talking loudly and vehemently. He had caught sounds of
his voice whilst yet upon the stairs. As he entered Binet broke off
short, and wheeled to face him.

"You are here at last!" It was so odd a greeting that Andre-Louis did
no more than look his mild surprise. "I await your explanations of the
disgraceful scene you provoked to-night."

"Disgraceful? Is it disgraceful that the public should applaud me?"

"The public? The rabble, you mean. Do you want to deprive us of the
patronage of all gentlefolk by vulgar appeals to the low passions of the
mob?"

Andre-Louis stepped past M. Binet and forward to the table. He shrugged
contemptuously. The man offended him, after all.

"You exaggerate grossly--as usual."

"I do not exaggerate. And I am the master in my own theatre. This is the
Binet Troupe, and it shall be conducted in the Binet way."

"Who are the gentlefolk the loss of whose patronage to the Feydau will
be so poignantly felt?" asked Andre-Louis.

"You imply that there are none? See how wrong you are. After the play
to-night M. le Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr came to me, and spoke to me
in the severest terms about your scandalous outburst. I was forced to
apologize, and..."

"The more fool you," said Andre-Louis. "A man who respected himself
would have shown that gentleman the door." M. Binet's face began to
empurple. "You call yourself the head of the Binet Troupe, you boast
that you will be master in your own theatre, and you stand like a
lackey to take the orders of the first insolent fello