face
beaming triumph.

"Well, and what has happened, that you are beaming so?"

"The school tribunal has acquitted me: yet I drew everything on myself
and did not throw any suspicion on you."

"I hope you would be insulted if I praised you for it. Every ordinary
man of honor would have done the same. It is just as little a merit not
to be a traitor as it is a great ignominy to be one. Am I not right?
Pepi,--my friend?"

Pepi Gyali decided that Lorand could not have heard of his treachery and
would not know it until he was placed in some safe place. He answered
naturally enough that no greater disgrace existed on earth than that of
treachery.

"But why did you summon me in such haste," he enquired, offering his
hand confidently to Lorand; the latter allowed him to grasp his hand--on
which was a glove.

"I merely wished to ask you if you would take my vis-a-vis in the ball
to-night following my farewell banquet?"

"With the greatest pleasure. You need not even have asked me. Where you
are, I must be also."

"Go upstairs, Desi, to the governess and ask her whether she intends to
come to the ball to-night, or if the lady of the house is going alone."

Desiderius listlessly sauntered out of the room.

He thought that to-day was scarcely a suitable day to conclude with a
ball; still he did go upstairs to the governess.

The young lady answered that she was not going for Melanie had a
difficult "Cavatina" to learn that evening, but her ladyship was getting
ready, and the stout aunt was going with her.

As Desiderius shut the door after him, Lorand stood with crossed arms
before the dandy, and said:

"Do you know what kind of dance it is, in which I have invited you to be
my vis-a-vis?"

"What kind?" asked Pepi with a playful expression.

"A kind of dance at which one of us must die." Therewith he handed him
the lilac-coloured letter which Hermine had written to him: "Read that."

Gyali read these lines:

"Gyali handed over the album-leaf you wrote on. All is betrayed."

The dandy smiled, and placed his hands behind him.

"Well, and what do you want with me?" he enquired with cool assurance.

"What do you think I want?"

"Do you want to abuse me? We are alone, no one will hear us. If you wish
to be rough with me, I shall shout and collect a crowd in the street:
that will also be bad for you."

"I intend to do neither. You see I have put gloves on, that I may not
befoul myself by touching you. Yet yo