like
solicitude.

"No harm has come to her?" he cried. "Tell me that no harm has come to
her."

"Reassure yourself," answered Marius, with a sneer, a greyness that
was of jealous rage overspreading his face. "No harm has come to her
whatever. The trouble was that I sought to wed her, and she, because
she is betrothed to you, would have none of me. So we brought her to
Condillac, hoping always to persuade her. You will remember that she was
under my mother's tutelage. The girl, however, could not be constrained.
She suborned one of our men to bear a letter to Paris for her, and
in answer to it the Queen sent a hot-headed, rash blunderer down to
Dauphiny to procure her liberation. He lies now at the bottom of the
moat of Condillac."

Florimond's face had assumed a look of horror and indignation.

"Do you dare tell me this?" he cried.

"Dare?" answered Marius, with an ugly laugh. "Men enough have died over
this affair already. That fellow Garnache left some bodies on our hands
last night before he set out for another world himself. You little dream
how far my daring goes in this matter. I'll add as many more as need
be to the death roll that we have already, before you set foot in
Condillac."

"Ah!" said Florimond, as one upon whose mind a light breaks suddenly.
"So, that is the business on which you come to me. I doubted your
brotherliness, I must confess, my dear Marius. But tell me, brother
mine, what of our father's wishes in this matter? Have you no respect
for those?"

"What respect had you?" flashed back Marius, his voice now raised in
anger. "Was it like a lover to remain away for three years--to let all
that time go by without ever a word from you to your betrothed? What
have you done to make good your claim to her?"

"Nothing, I confess; yet--"

"Well, you shall do something now," exclaimed Marius, rising. "I am here
to afford you the opportunity. If you would still win Mademoiselle de La
Vauvraye, you shall win her from me--at point of sword. Fortunio, see to
the door."

"Wait, Marius!" cried Florimond, and he looked genuinely aghast. "Do not
forget that we are brothers, men of the same blood; that my father was
your father."

"I choose to remember rather that we are rivals," answered Marius, and
he drew his rapier. Fortunio turned the key in the lock. Florimond gave
his brother a long searching look, then with a sigh he picked up his
sword where it lay ready to his hand and thoughtfully unsheath