ood heavens, chevalier, it was only the day before yesterday
that I was offered gold to betray you, and I refused! No, no! Yesterday
you came and asked me to aid you a second time. I told you that I was
ready, but on new conditions. Well, I have just told you those
conditions. Accept them or refuse them. Where do you see treason in all
this?"

"And if I was weak enough to accept these conditions, monsieur, do you
imagine that the confidence which her royal highness the Duchesse de
Maine reposes in the Chevalier d'Harmental can be transferred to Captain
Roquefinette?"

"And what has the Duchesse de Maine to remark upon in this? You
undertake a piece of business. There are material hindrances in the way
of your executing it yourself. You hand it over to me. That is all."

"That is to say," answered D'Harmental, shaking his head, "that you wish
to be free to loose the regent, if the regent offers you, for leaving
him in France, twice as much as I offer you for taking him to Spain."

"Perhaps," replied Roquefinette.

"Hearken, captain." said D'Harmental, making a new effort to retain his
sang-froid, and endeavoring to renew the negotiations, "I will give you
twenty thousand francs down."

"Trash," answered the captain.

"I will take you with me to Spain."

"Fiddlesticks."

"And I engage on my honor to obtain you a regiment."

Roquefinette began to hum a tune.

"Take care," said D'Harmental; "it is more dangerous for you now, at the
point at which we have arrived, and with the terrible secrets which you
know, to refuse than to accept."

"And what will happen, then, if I refuse?" asked Roquefinette.

"It will happen, captain, that you will not leave this room."

"And who will prevent me?"

"I!" cried D'Harmental, bounding before the door, a pistol in each hand.

"You?" said Roquefinette, making a step toward the chevalier, and then
crossing his arms and regarding him fixedly.

"One step more, captain," said the chevalier, "and I give you my word I
will blow your brains out."

"You blow my brains out--you! In the first place, it is necessary for
that, that you should not tremble like an old woman. Do you know what
you will do? You will miss me; the noise will alarm the neighbors, who
will call the guard, and they will question me as to the reasons of your
shooting at me, and I shall be obliged to tell them."

"Yes, you are right, captain," cried the chevalier, uncocking his
pistols, and replacing them i