ely his career of evil and
of murder. Sooner or later he will meet a sword that will avenge the
others. You have observed that my cousin Chabrillane is among the number
of this assassin's victims; that he was killed on Tuesday last."

"If I have not expressed my condolence, Azyr, it is because my
indignation stifles at the moment every other feeling. The scoundrel!
You say that sooner or later he will meet a sword that will avenge the
others. I pray that it may be soon."

The Marquis answered him quietly, without anything but sorrow in his
voice. "I think your prayer is likely to be heard. This wretched young
man has an engagement for to-morrow, when his account may be definitely
settled."

He spoke with such calm conviction that his words had all the sound of
a sentence of death. They suddenly stemmed the flow of M. de Kercadiou's
anger. The colour receded from his inflamed face; dread looked out of
his pale eyes, to inform M. de La Tour d'Azyr, more clearly than any
words, that M. de Kercadiou's hot speech had been the expression of
unreflecting anger, that his prayer that retribution might soon overtake
his godson had been unconsciously insincere. Confronted now by the fact
that this retribution was about to be visited upon that scoundrel, the
fundamental gentleness and kindliness of his nature asserted itself; his
anger was suddenly whelmed in apprehension; his affection for the lad
beat up to the surface, making Andre-Louis' sin, however hideous, a
thing of no account by comparison with the threatened punishment.

M. de Kercadiou moistened his lips.

"With whom is this engagement?" he asked in a voice that by an effort he
contrived to render steady.

M. de La Tour d'Azyr bowed his handsome head, his eyes upon the gleaming
parquetry of the floor. "With myself," he answered quietly, conscious
already with a tightening of the heart that his answer must sow dismay.
He caught the sound of a faint outcry from Aline; he saw the sudden
recoil of M. de Kercadiou. And then he plunged headlong into the
explanation that he deemed necessary.

"In view of his relations with you, M. de Kercadiou, and because of my
deep regard for you, I did my best to avoid this, even though as you
will understand the death of my dear friend and cousin Chabrillane
seemed to summon me to action, even though I knew that my circumspection
was becoming matter for criticism among my friends. But yesterday this
unbridled young man made further