as encased to the chin in a closely
fitting plastron of leather, His face was aquiline and swarthy, his eyes
full and dark, his mouth firm and his clubbed hair was of a lustrous
black with here and there a thread of silver showing.

In the crook of his left arm he carried a fencing-mask, a thing of
leather with a wire grating to protect the eyes. His keen glance played
over Andre-Louis from head to foot.

"Monsieur?" he inquired, politely.

It was clear that he mistook Andre-Louis' quality, which is not
surprising, for despite his sadly reduced fortunes, his exterior was
irreproachable, and M. des Amis was not to guess that he carried upon
his back the whole of his possessions.

"You have a notice below, monsieur," he said, and from the swift
lighting of the fencing-master's eyes he saw that he had been correct
in his assumption that applicants for the position had not been jostling
one another on his threshold. And then that flash of satisfaction was
followed by a look of surprise.

"You are come in regard to that?"

Andre-Louis shrugged and half smiled. "One must live," said he.

"But come in. Sit down there. I shall be at your.... I shall be free to
attend to you in a moment."

Andre-Louis took a seat on the bench ranged against one of the
whitewashed walls. The room was long and low, its floor entirely bare.
Plain wooden forms such as that which he occupied were placed here and
there against the wall. These last were plastered with fencing trophies,
masks, crossed foils, stuffed plastrons, and a variety of swords,
daggers, and targets, belonging to a variety of ages and countries.
There was also a portrait of an obese, big-nosed gentleman in an
elaborately curled wig, wearing the blue ribbon of the Saint Esprit,
in whom Andre-Louis recognized the King. And there was a framed
parchment--M. des Amis' certificate from the King's Academy. A bookcase
occupied one corner, and near this, facing the last of the four windows
that abundantly lighted the long room, there was a small writing-table
and an armchair. A plump and beautifully dressed young gentleman stood
by this table in the act of resuming coat and wig. M. des Amis sauntered
over to him--moving, thought Andre-Louis, with extraordinary grace and
elasticity--and stood in talk with him whilst also assisting him to
complete his toilet.

At last the young gentleman took his departure, mopping himself with
a fine kerchief that left a trail of perfume on the a