aned against the wall, her hand to her
breast. Beaucaire, though white and weak, had brought her a chair before
Molyneux could stir.

"Mademoiselle--"

"Do not touch me!" she said, with such frozen abhorrence in her voice
that he stopped short. "Mr. Molyneux, you seek strange company!"

"Madam," replied Molyneux, bowing deeply, as much to Beaucaire as to
herself, "I am honored by the presence of both of you.

"Oh, are you mad!" she exclaimed, contemptuously.

"This gentleman has exalted me with his confidence, madam," he replied.

"Will you add your ruin to the scandal of this fellow's presence here?
How he obtained entrance--"

"Pardon, mademoiselle," interrupted Beaucaire. "Did I not say I should
come? M. Molyneux was so obliging as to answer for me to the fourteen
frien's of M. de Winterset and Meestaire Nash."

"Do you not know," she turned vehemently upon Molyneux, "that he will be
removed the moment I leave this room? Do you wish to be dragged out
with him? For your sake, sir, because I have always thought you a man
of heart, I give you a chance to save yourself from disgrace--and--your
companion from jail. Let him slip out by some retired way, and you
may give me your arm and we will enter the next room as if nothing had
happened. Come, sir--"

"Mademoiselle--"

"Mr. Molyneux, I desire to hear nothing from your companion. Had I not
seen you at cards with him I should have supposed him in attendance as
your lackey. Do you desire to take advantage of my offer, sir?"

"Mademoiselle, I could not tell you, on that night--"

"You may inform your high-born friend, Mr. Molyneux, that I heard
everything he had to say; that my pride once had the pleasure of
listening to his high-born confession!"

"Ah, it is gentle to taunt one with his birth, mademoiselle? Ah, no!
There is a man in my country who say strange things of that--that a man
is not his father, but himself."

"You may inform your friend, Mr. Molyneux, that he had a chance to
defend himself against accusation; that he said all--"

"That I did say all I could have strength to say. Mademoiselle, you did
not see--as it was right--that I had been stung by a big wasp. It was
nothing, a scratch; but, mademoiselle, the sky went round and the moon
dance' on the earth. I could not wish that big wasp to see he had stung
me; so I mus' only say what I can have strength for, and stand straight
till he is gone. Beside', there are other rizzons. Ah, you mus' be