he would accomplish
nothing against this impassive, resolute young man. The menace of him
grew more fierce.

"I should advise you to take yourself off at once, and to be thankful
for the opportunity to depart unscathed."

"I am, then, to understand, monsieur, that there will be no inquiry into
this case? That nothing that I can say will move you?"

"You are to understand that if you are still there in two minutes it
will be very much the worse for you." And M. de Lesdiguieres tinkled the
silver hand-bell upon his table.

"I have informed you, monsieur, that a duel--so-called--has been fought,
and a man killed. It seems that I must remind you, the administrator of
the King's justice, that duels are against the law, and that it is
your duty to hold an inquiry. I come as the legal representative of the
bereaved mother of M. de Vilmorin to demand of you the inquiry that is
due."

The door behind Andre-Louis opened softly. M. de Lesdiguieres, pale with
anger, contained himself with difficulty.

"You seek to compel us, do you, you impudent rascal?" he growled. "You
think the King's justice is to be driven headlong by the voice of any
impudent roturier? I marvel at my own patience with you. But I give you
a last warning, master lawyer; keep a closer guard over that insolent
tongue of yours, or you will have cause very bitterly to regret its
glibness." He waved a jewelled, contemptuous hand, and spoke to the
usher standing behind Andre. "To the door!" he said, shortly.

Andre-Louis hesitated a second. Then with a shrug he turned. This was
the windmill, indeed, and he a poor knight of rueful countenance. To
attack it at closer quarters would mean being dashed to pieces. Yet on
the threshold he turned again.

"M. de Lesdiguieres," said he, "may I recite to you an interesting fact
in natural history? The tiger is a great lord in the jungle, and was
for centuries the terror of lesser beasts, including the wolf. The wolf,
himself a hunter, wearied of being hunted. He took to associating
with other wolves, and then the wolves, driven to form packs for
self-protection, discovered the power of the pack, and took to hunting
the tiger, with disastrous results to him. You should study Buffon, M.
de Lesdiguieres."

"I have studied a buffoon this morning, I think," was the punning sneer
with which M. de Lesdiguieres replied. But that he conceived himself
witty, it is probable he would not have condescended to reply at all. "I
d