and became as suddenly grave.

"So Mr. Cheveney was another Paris friend, was he?" she asked.

"Don't befool me any more," he answered, almost roughly. "If any one
should know----you should! He was your friend. We were only--_les
autres_."

"That is quite untrue," she declared cheerfully. "I certainly knew him
no better than you."

"Then he--and Paris--lied," Ennison answered.

"That," she answered, "is far easier to believe. You are too
credulous."

Ennison had things to say, but he looked at her and held his tongue.
They turned the last corner, and almost immediately a man who had been
standing there turned and struck Ennison a violent blow on the cheek.
Ennison reeled, and almost fell. Recovering himself quickly his
instinct of self-defence was quicker than his recollection of Anna's
presence. He struck out from the shoulder, and the man measured his
length upon the pavement.

Anna sprang lightly away across the street. Brendon and Courtlaw who
had been watching for her, met her at the door. She pointed across the
road.

"Please go and see that--nothing happens," she pleaded.

"It is the first moment we have let him out of our sight," Brendon
exclaimed, as he hastened across the street.

Hill sat up on the pavement and mopped the blood from his cheek.
Ennison's signet-ring had cut nearly to the bone.

"What the devil do you mean by coming for me like that?" Ennison
exclaimed, glowering down upon him. "Serves you right if I'd cracked
your skull."

Hill looked up at him, an unkempt, rough-looking object, with broken
collar, tumbled hair, and the blood slowly dripping from his face.

"What do you mean, hanging round with my wife?" he answered fiercely.

Ennison looked down on him in disgust.

"You silly fool," he said. "I know nothing about your wife. The young
lady I was with is not married at all. Why don't you make sure before
you rush out like that upon a stranger?"

"You were with my wife," Hill repeated sullenly. "I suppose you're
like the rest of them. Call her Miss Pellissier, eh? I tell you she's
my wife, and I've got the certificate in my pocket."

"I don't know who you are," Ennison said quietly, "but you are a
thundering liar."

Hill staggered to his feet and drew a folded paper from his pocket.

"Marriage certificates don't tell lies, at any rate," he said. "Just
look that through, will you."

Ennison took the document, tore it half in two without looking at it,
and flung it back