no flaw over
which the old General or the big stupid Governor can haggle?"

"I discovered not a flaw," I answered her with a great positiveness.
"Do you say that it is soon that those representatives of my
government come to make a last signing of the papers about the
excellent mules to be sent from the great State of Harpeth to France
who is at a war of death? I had not heard of the nearness of the visit
at the Capitol."

"They don't know it--that is, Governor Faulkner does, but has told
only me. He sees things my way but of--of course, he has to keep his
councils from his Secretary of State for the time being. And I'm
telling you all about it, because--because it is for France we plot
and because I--this is the way to say it." And with those wicked
words, which involved the honor of the great Gouverneur Faulkner, she
pressed her body close to mine and her lips upon my mouth.

For that caress of that wicked woman I had not sufficient endurance
and I pushed her from me with roughness and sprang to my feet.

"It is not true, Madam Whitworth, that--" I was exclaiming when I
caught myself in the midst of my own betrayal, just as I was about to
be shown into a plot which it was of much value to know. And as my
words ceased I stood and trembled before her wickedness.

"Do you know, Mr. Robert Carruthers, I do not entirely understand
you," she said with a great and beautiful calmness as she lighted a
cigarette and looked at me trembling before her. "You are a very bold
young cavalier but you have the shrinking nature of--shall I say?--a
French--_girl_!"

As she spoke those words, which began in sarcasm but ended in a queer
uncertain tone of suspicion, as if she had blundered on a reason to
soothe her vanity for the recoil of my lips from hers, an ugly gleam
shot from under her lowered lashes.

"I am the son of the house of Carruthers as well as of Grez and Bye,
beautiful Madam, and I cannot endure that you put upon my very good
Uncle, the General Carruthers, an unfriendliness to France," I
exclaimed with a quickness of my brain that I had not before
discovered. "On points of honor I have that sensitiveness that you say
to be--be of a woman."

"Oh, my darling boy, I didn't mean to hurt you about that absurd old
feud of--" And as she spoke the beautiful Madam Patricia rose and came
upon me with outstretched arms for another abhorred embrace, which it
was to my good fortune to have interrupted. But I had a fear of tha