ying his
self-consciousness.

When he came near Alice she was taking from its buckhorn hook on the
wall a rapier, one of a beautiful pair hanging side by side.

"Papa Roussillon gave me these," she said with great animation. "He
bought them of an Indian who had kept them a long time; where he came
across them he would not tell; but look how beautiful! Did you ever see
anything so fine?"

Guard and hilt were of silver; the blade, although somewhat corroded,
still showed the fine wavy lines of Damascus steel and traces of
delicate engraving, while in the end of the hilt was set a large oval
turquoise.

"A very queer present to give a girl," said Rene; "what can you do with
them?"

A captivating flash of playfulness came into her face and she sprang
backward, giving the sword a semicircular turn with her wrist. The
blade sent forth a keen hiss as it cut the air close, very close to
Rene's nose. He jerked his head and flung up his hand.

She laughed merrily, standing beautifully poised before him, the
rapier's point slightly elevated. Her short skirt left her feet and
ankles free to show their graceful proportions and the perfect pose in
which they held her supple body.

"You see what I can do with the colechemarde, eh, Monsieur Rene de
Ronville!" she exclaimed, giving him a smile which fairly blinded him.
"Notice how very near to your neck I can thrust and yet not touch it.
Now!"

She darted the keen point under his chin and drew it away so quickly
that the stroke was like a glint of sunlight.

"What do you think of that as a nice and accurate piece of skill?"

She again resumed her pose, the right foot advanced, the left arm well
back, her lissome, finely developed body leaning slightly forward.

Rene's hands were up before his face in a defensive position, palms
outward.

Just then a chorus of men's voices sounded in the distance. The river
house was beginning its carousal with a song. Alice let fall her
sword's point and listened.

Rene looked about for his cap.

"I must be going," he said.

Another and louder swish of the rapier made him pirouette and dodge
again with great energy.

"Don't," he cried, "that's dangerous; you'll put out my eyes; I never
saw such a girl!"

She laughed at him and kept on whipping the air dangerously near his
eyes, until she had driven him backward as far as he could squeeze
himself into a comer of the room.

Madame Roussillon came to the door from the kitchen and