speech; she had formulated no demand. For a second or so she stood
tongue-tied--tongue-tied and helpless--unable to put her passionate
appeal into words; then, all of a sudden, she said,

"Miss Burgoyne, you will not allow it--this folly! It is madness that
they fight about--about nothing! You will not allow it!--what is it to
you?--you have enough fame, enough reputation as a prima-donna, as a
favorite with the public--what more? Why should you wish more--and at
such a dreadful risk?--"

"Oh, I don't know what you're talking about!" said Miss Burgoyne. "What
are you talking about?"

"The duel--" said Nina, breathlessly.

"What duel?"

Nina stared at her.

"Ah, you do not know, then?" she exclaimed.

"What don't I know?" Miss Burgoyne said, impatiently. "What are you
talking about! What duel? Is it something in the evening papers? Or have
you taken leave of your senses?"

Nina paid no heed to these taunts.

"You do not know, then," she asked, "that--that Mr. Moore is going to
fight a duel--with a young gentleman who is your friend? No?--you do not
know it?"

It was Miss Burgoyne's turn to stare in amazement.

"Mr. Moore?" she repeated, with her eyes (which were pretty and
coquettish enough, though they were not on the same plane) grown wide
and wondering. "A friend of mine? And you come to me--as if I had
anything to do with it? Oh, my goodness!" she suddenly exclaimed, and a
curious smile of intelligence began to dawn upon her face. "Has that
young donkey carried the matter so far as that?"

But she was not displeased; nay, she was rather inclined to laugh.

"Well, that would make a stir, wouldn't it? And how did you find it
out?--who told _you_? A duel? I thought he was talking rather
mysteriously yesterday morning--Conrad the Corsair kind of thing--glooms
and daggers--so it was a duel he was thinking of? But they are not
really going to fight, Miss Ross," continued Miss Burgoyne, who had
grown quite friendly. "You know people can't give up an engagement at a
theatre to go and fight a duel: it's only French gentlemen who have no
occupation who do that sort of thing. A duel?--a real, actual duel--do
you seriously mean it?"

The prospect seemed to afford her great satisfaction, if not even a
cause for merriment.

"Miss Burgoyne, you will not permit it!" Nina exclaimed.

"I?" said the other. "What have I to do with it? If two men want to
fight, why shouldn't they?" said she, with apparent carelessne