res!

A low laugh rippled through the _atelier_--unmusically, because it held
a jarring, ominous note; and then Myrna Bliss was speaking again.

"Monsieur Vinailles told me that some girl here had made quite a _coup
de theatre_," she said calmly--too calmly to be natural. She fixed her
grey eyes, narrowed a little now, on Marie-Louise. "I had no idea that
it was _you_. How astounding!" She swung toward Paul Valmain. "Yes;
Monsieur Valmain, I have been listening behind the portieres. From the
hall door, when I entered the house with Monsieur Vinailles a few
moments ago, I caught sight of mademoiselle and yourself across the
salon, thanks to the half open portieres; and--mademoiselle, there,
will perhaps understand this better than you--in spite of my anxiety
for Jean, I sent Monsieur Vinailles upstairs alone. Do I make it
plain, Monsieur Valmain, that I overheard your last remarks?"

Marie-Louise glanced distractedly from one to the other. Mademoiselle
Bliss was smiling--only it was a very strange smile. Why was she
smiling like that? And Monsieur Valmain's face was twitching again,
only it seemed that, where there had been anger before, there was now a
curious mingling of confusion and passionate eagerness.

"Then," he said, and took a step forward, "then--"

"Then," Myrna Bliss interrupted evenly, and came slowly across the
_atelier_, "then, of course, I understand everything, Monsieur Valmain.
And I suppose I should feel flattered that you should take it upon
yourself to avenge"--her voice was rising now, and the grey eyes were
flashing dangerously--"to avenge my honour! How like a knight of old,
Monsieur Valmain! How heroic! I have heard that Monsieur Valmain is
one of the finest swordsmen in France; I have never heard that Monsieur
Laparde was an adept at the art, but that, indeed, he was almost
ignorant of it, and--"

"Mademoiselle!" he exclaimed hoarsely. "Mademoiselle--Myrna! You have
no right to say that! It is not true!" He drew himself up, clenching
his hands. "By God, not even you shall say that to me, to Paul
Valmain! I offered--no, I insisted that we should fight with pistols.
Laparde would not hear of it--they would make too much noise."

"Ah--a noise!" she said colourlessly. "And what then, Monsieur
Valmain? Have you any other excuse for what you have done?"

"You know why I did it, if you have been listening!" he cried out.
"You know why! You know that it was because I loved