've heard already?" said the Duke in some surprise.

"I've heard," said Germaine. "Why did you fight it?"

"You're not wounded, your Grace?" said Sonia anxiously.

"Not a scratch," said the Duke, smiling at her.

"Will you be so good as to get on with those wedding-cards, Sonia,"
said Germaine sharply; and Sonia went back to the writing-table.

Turning to the Duke, Germaine said, "Did you fight on my account?"

"Would you be pleased to know that I had fought on your account?" said
the Duke; and there was a faint mocking light in his eyes, far too
faint for the self-satisfied Germaine to perceive.

"Yes. But it isn't true. You've been fighting about some woman," said
Germaine petulantly.

"If I had been fighting about a woman, it could only be you," said the
Duke.

"Yes, that is so. Of course. It could hardly be about Sonia, or my
maid," said Germaine. "But what was the reason of the duel?"

"Oh, the reason of it was entirely childish," said the Duke. "I was in
a bad temper; and De Relzieres said something that annoyed me."

"Then it wasn't about me; and if it wasn't about me, it wasn't really
worth while fighting," said Germaine in a tone of acute disappointment.

The mocking light deepened a little in the Duke's eyes.

"Yes. But if I had been killed, everybody would have said, 'The Duke of
Charmerace has been killed in a duel about Mademoiselle
Gournay-Martin.' That would have sounded very fine indeed," said the
Duke; and a touch of mockery had crept into his voice.

"Now, don't begin trying to annoy me again," said Germaine pettishly.

"The last thing I should dream of, my dear girl," said the Duke,
smiling.

"And De Relzieres? Is he wounded?" said Germaine.

"Poor dear De Relzieres: he won't be out of bed for the next six
months," said the Duke; and he laughed lightly and gaily.

"Good gracious!" cried Germaine.

"It will do poor dear De Relzieres a world of good. He has a touch of
enteritis; and for enteritis there is nothing like rest," said the Duke.

Sonia was not getting on very quickly with the wedding-cards. Germaine
was sitting with her back to her; and over her shoulder Sonia could
watch the face of the Duke--an extraordinarily mobile face, changing
with every passing mood. Sometimes his eyes met hers; and hers fell
before them. But as soon as they turned away from her she was watching
him again, almost greedily, as if she could not see enough of his face
in which strength of will and