, and, both jumping at the same
instant, landed on the far side of the ledge, scattering the applauding
spectators right and left as they drove in among them, unable for an
instant to stop the swiftness of their progress.

"Well done, Monsieur!" called out St. Aulaire, as he wheeled beside
Calvert, who had succeeded in checking his impetus. He was smiling, but
there was a dark look in his eyes. "Well done, but 'twas too easy--a
very school-boy's trick! We must try something a little more difficult
to test our agility upon the ice--unless, indeed, Monsieur has had
enough?" and he looked at Calvert insultingly full in the face. "The
eyes of the world are upon us--" and he waved his hand mockingly toward
the throng of spectators on the terrace where the ladies were applauding
with gloved hands and the men tapping the frozen ground with canes and
swords. From where he stood Calvert could see Mr. Jefferson looking at
him and Mr. Morris sitting beside Madame de Flahaut and Madame de St.
Andre, who had left the ice and joined the onlookers.

"It has never been my custom or my desire, Monsieur, to furnish
amusement for the crowd," said Calvert, returning St. Aulaire's insolent
look, "but I should be very sorry to stand in the way of your doing so
by declining to act as a foil to your prowess. If there is anything else
I can do for you--?" and he bowed and smiled tranquilly at Monsieur de
St. Aulaire, who blushed darkly with vexation at the way in which the
young man had turned his attack.

"Monsieur is too modest," he said, suavely, controlling himself, and
then, calling one of the attendants who was busy near-by sweeping the
snow cut by the skates from the ice, he instructed the fellow to bring
one of the chairs which had been taken from the palace to the terrace
for the convenience of those who had not had their servants bring them.
In a few moments the man returned with a large chair whose deep seat and
long arms just suited the purposes of Monsieur de St. Aulaire. Under his
direction the man placed it sidewise upon the stratum of broken,
irregular ice and snow, the crowd looking on with curiosity at the
unusual proceedings.

"By the example and with the approbation of Monsieur le Duc d'Orleans,
Monsieur," said St. Aulaire, turning gravely to Calvert, "we do all
things a l'Anglaise--for the moment. You, who, after all, are English,
will doubtless recognize many of your customs, manners, and sports among
us--always suppos