tte pas,
Alphonse. C'est trop dur_." None of them fancied an encounter with the
grim giant who confronted them, his muscles braced and salient, his eyes
gleaming with the _gaudia certaminis_, and his nostrils dilated as if
they snuffed the battle.

So they made way for Guy and his charge to pass, only grinding out
between their teeth the strange guttural blasphemies that characterize
impotent Gallic wrath.

Mohun, a reserve scarcely leas formidable, stood by all the while,
looking on lazily; he saw that his companion was more than equal to the
emergency.

"I hope you have not been much annoyed," Livingstone said, kindly.
"Where were you going to? I shall be too happy to escort you, if you
will allow me."

She named the street, only a few hundred yards off, and tried to thank
him gratefully, but her voice was broken and scarcely audible, and the
blinding tears would rush into her eyes. Poor child! it was very long
since she had heard gentle, courteous words in her mother-tongue. She
recovered herself, however, during their short walk, and they had nearly
reached her destination when Livingstone said, "Forgive me for being
impertinent; I have no right to advise you; but I think you would find
it better not to walk alone, often, at this hour. There is always a
chance of something disagreeable."

He could see her blush painfully as she answered, "I have no one to
accompany me. I work hard at drawing and painting as long as there is
light, and I had gone out to see if I could sell what I have done. But I
fear I am a very poor artist; no one would offer me as much as they had
cost me. And I tried at so many places!"

It was piteous to hear the heavy, heart-broken sigh.

"Perhaps I have better taste," replied Livingstone. "Those print-sellers
are absurdly ignorant of what is good and anonymous. At all events, they
will interest me, as a memorial of to-night. Will you give them to me? I
will promise not to be too critical."

He drew the roll out of her hand as he spoke, replacing it by his
note-case; and before she could open it or make any objection, he
followed Mohun (for they had reached the artist's door by this time),
first raising his hat to her in adieu as courteously as he would have
done to a reigning archduchess.

How much did the case contain? Guy himself could hardly have told you.
But be sure the Recorder of his many misdeeds knew, and reckoned it to
the uttermost farthing when he wrote down that one ki