h an easy
and agreeable road to place and fortune. Soon rising anger got the
better of his surprise, and minding Picard's reports on the
Chevalier's conduct, his thought was:

"Ah, that's the secret--he prefers his libertine courses to assured
fortune!"

But the Aunt, with a woman's ready wit, understood there could be but
one reason to such a decided refusal, and knew that he must be already
in love.

Countess de Linieres loved the Chevalier as if he were her own son.
Quickly she shot the youth a warning look to prevent if possible a
verbal passage of arms. But it was already too late.

"You dare to disobey the King--" thundered Count de Linieres, in
righteous wrath, backed (as the others well knew) by the triple
authority of household, police and royal cachet.

"My sword is my King's," flashed the handsome youth resolutely, "but
my will must remain my own!

"I will go to His Majesty," he continued passionately. "I will thank
him for his goodness, place my services at his disposal. My devotion,
my life are his, but my affections are my own, and I wish to
remain--free!"

"Free!" exclaimed the Count scornfully. "Free to lead a life of
dissipation which you may not always be able to hide from the world."

These words, which implied so much, stung the noble-hearted de Vaudrey
more than any words of anger or reproach could have done.

"There is nothing in my life to hide," he said proudly but impatiently,
"nothing for which I have reason to blush."

"Are you sure of that, Chevalier?" asked the Count, in a tone that
plainly said the speaker knew differently. Conscious of his own
uprightness, this doubt cast upon his word was more than the Chevalier
could bear, and he advanced toward his uncle with a menacing air.

"Monsieur!" he began, boldly, "I cannot--"

"Maurice! my husband!" exclaimed the Countess, as she stepped between
the two men to prevent those words being spoken which would have led
to an encounter. "Defer the conversation for the present. Permit me to
speak to Maurice."

"Very well," said de Linieres sternly. Then turning to the Chevalier
he said, in a voice which he had never before used to his nephew: "We
will return to this another time. You will remember that as head of
the family its honor is confided to my care, and I will not suffer any
one to sully it with a stain."

De Vaudrey had nearly lost all control of his temper. In a moment the
outbreak which the Countess was so anxious to avoid