e.

He was very pale, nay white, even to the lips--but it was evidently not
with terror but with rage, as his first words testified--

"_Monsieur le Comte de Chavannes_," he said, slowly, "_car je vous
connais, et vous me connaitrez aussi, je vous le jure; vous m'avez
frappe, vous me rendrez satisfaction, n'est-ce pas_?"

"Oh! no, no," I exclaimed, before he could answer, clasping my hands
eagerly together, "oh, no, no! not on my account, I implore you,
Monsieur le Comte--no life on my account--above all, not yours!"

He thanked me by one expressive glance, which spoke volumes to my heart,
and perhaps read volumes in return, in my pale face and trembling lips,
then turned with a calm smile to his late antagonist, and answered him
in English. "I do not know in the least, sir, who you are, and I do not
suppose that I ever shall know. I chastised you, five minutes since,
for insulting this lady most grossly--"

"Lady!" interrupted the ruffian, with a sneer. "Lady. Lady of plea--"

But the Count went on without pausing or seeming to hear him--"which I
should have done at all events, whether I had known you or not, and
which I shall most assuredly do again, should you think fit to proceed
further with your infamies. As for satisfaction, if I should be called
upon in a proper way, I shall not refuse it to any person worthy to meet
me."

"Which this person is not, sir," interposed yet a third voice; and,
looking up, I recognised the officer who had bowed to me: "which this
person is not, I assure you, and my word is wont to be sufficient in
such cases--Lieutenant-Colonel Jervis,"--he added, with a half bow to
me,--"late of His Majesty's--Light Dragoons. This person is the
notorious Monsieur G--, who was detected cheating at ecarte at the
`Travellers,' was a defaulter on the St Leger in the St Patrick's year,
has been warned off every race-course in England, by the Jockey Club,
besides being horsewhipped by half the Legs in England. He can get no
gentleman to bring you a message, sir; and if he could, you must not
meet him."

Gnashing his teeth with impotent rage, the detected impostor slunk away,
while the Count, bowing to Colonel Jervis, replied quietly--

"I thank you very much, Colonel. I am Monsieur de Chavannes; and I have
no doubt what you say is perfectly correct. No one but a low ruffian
could have behaved as this fellow did. It was, I assure you, no small
offence which caused me to strike a blow in