is hell."

His emotion moved Andre-Louis. He took Leandre's arm. "You're a good
fellow, Leandre. I am glad I intervened to save you from your fate."

"Oh, you don't love her!" cried the other, passionately. "You never did.
You don't know what it means to love, or you'd not talk like this. My
God! if she had been my affianced wife and this had happened, I should
have killed the man--killed him! Do you hear me? But you... Oh, you, you
come out here and smoke, and take the air, and talk of her as another
man's leavings. I wonder I didn't strike you for the word."

He tore his arm from the other's grip, and looked almost as if he would
strike him now.

"You should have done it," said Andre-Louis. "It's in your part."

With an imprecation Leandre turned on his heel to go. Andre-Louis
arrested his departure.

"A moment, my friend. Test me by yourself. Would you marry her now?"

"Would I?" The young man's eyes blazed with passion. "Would I? Let her
say that she will marry me, and I am her slave."

"Slave is the right word--a slave in hell."

"It would never be hell to me where she was, whatever she had done. I
love her, man, I am not like you. I love her, do you hear me?"

"I have known it for some time," said Andre-Louis. "Though I didn't
suspect your attack of the disease to be quite so violent. Well, God
knows I loved her, too, quite enough to share your thirst for killing.
For myself, the blue blood of La Tour d'Azyr would hardly quench this
thirst. I should like to add to it the dirty fluid that flows in the
veins of the unspeakable Binet."

For a second his emotion had been out of hand, and he revealed to
Leandre in the mordant tone of those last words something of the fires
that burned under his icy exterior. The young man caught him by the
hand.

"I knew you were acting," said he. "You feel--you feel as I do."

"Behold us, fellows in viciousness. I have betrayed myself, it seems.
Well, and what now? Do you want to see this pretty Marquis torn limb
from limb? I might afford you the spectacle."

"What?" Leandre stared, wondering was this another of Scaramouche's
cynicisms.

"It isn't really difficult provided I have aid. I require only a little.
Will you lend it me?"

"Anything you ask," Leandre exploded. "My life if you require it."

Andre-Louis took his arm again. "Let us walk," he said. "I will instruct
you."

When they came back the company was already at dinner. Mademoiselle had
not yet return