about it?"

"I have just one hour before going to the State of Harpeth, many miles
from here, Madam," I made answer with a great politeness. "I thank you
but I must make my regrets."

"Oh, I can find out all I want to know about you in five minutes. Just
come sit down with me and be a good boy. Do you want to give me your
name? I wish you really were _somebody_ that had given Willie
that tea fight." And while making protestations and remonstrances I
was led again into that tea room and seated at a great distance from
the table which had been occupied by that Mr. William Raines and Mr.
Peter Scudder, who had now departed. "If you really were some big gun
it would kill Willie dead."

"Then, Madam, permit me to present myself to you as Robert Carruthers,
Marquis de Grez and Bye, from Paris on my way to visit my Uncle,
General Robert Carruthers, of the State of Harpeth. I would very
willingly by information or a sword kill that Mr. William Raines of
Saint Louis and I regret that--that--" At the beginning of my sentence
I had drawn myself up into the attitude of the old Marquis of Flanders
in the hall of the ruined Chateau de Grez, but when I had got to the
point--of, shall I say, my own sword?--I was forced to collapse and I
could feel my knees under the tea table begin to shake together and
huddle for their accustomed and now missing skirts.

"That's fine and dandy," answered the nice woman as she began to write
rapidly upon the blank paper. "If you'd drawn fifty swords on Willie
and he had knocked you down with the butt end of his teaspoon I'd have
put Willie on the run in my write-up. Willie has handed me several