r us both; but here lies my secret. I love Mademoiselle Athalie, the
niece of Madame de Livry--"

"How, the old flame of the great Louis?"

"Oui," said Lemercier, smiling; "and many say that Athalie bears a
somewhat suspicious resemblance to her aunt's royal lover; but that is
no business of mine; she loves me very dearly, and is very good and
amiable. Diable! I am well content to take her and her thirty thousand
louis-d'or without making any troublesome inquiries. It would seem that
my dear little Athalie is immensely vain of my reputation as a master of
fence, and having heard that this Scottish Chevalier is esteemed the
first man of the sword in Britain, and further, that report asserts he
slew her brother in the line of battle at Blenheim, fighting bravely for
a standard, she declared that ere her hand was mine, I must measure
swords with this Sir William, and dip this, her handkerchief, in his
blood, in token of his defeat, and of my conquest."

"A very pretty idea of Mademoiselle Athalie, and I doubt not Hopetoun
will be overwhelmed by the obligation when he hears of it," said the
Major of Orkney's, whose face brightened with a broad laugh; "and so
much would I love to see two such brisk fellows as thou and he yoked
together, at cut-and-thrust, that if permitted, I will rejoice in
bearing the message of M. Lemercier to Sir William, whose Castle of
Balcomie is close by here."

"Having no friend with me, I accept your offer with a thousand thanks,"
said Lemercier.

"Sir William did, indeed, slay an officer, as you have said, in that
charge at Blenheim, where the regiment of the Marquis de Livry was cut
to pieces by Orkney's Scots' Greys; but to be so good and amiable, and
to love you so much withal, Mademoiselle Athalie must be a brisk dame to
urge her favored Chevalier on a venture so desperate; for, mark me,
Monsieur Lemercier," said the Major, impressively, "none can know better
than I, the skill--the long and carefully studied skill--of Sir William
Hopetoun, and permit me to warn you--"

"It matters not--I _must_ fight him; love, honor, and rivalry, too, if
you will have it so, all spur me on, and no time must be lost."

"Enough; I should have been in my stirrups an hour ago; and dark though
the night be, I will ride to Balcomie with your message."

"A million of thanks--you will choose time and place for me."

"Say, to-morrow, at sunrise; be thou at the Standing-stone of Sauchope;
'tis a tall, rough b