forecast. Before the service was over the wind was howling round the
building with the sounds of unleashed furies, and when they got out it
was almost dark.

They bent to the gale and pressed on, Gard with a discomforting
remembrance that the Coupée lay ahead.

As they passed Vauroque there seemed a still larger crowd of loafers at
the corner, and again Tom's voice called rudely after them.

Gard turned promptly and strode back to where he was sitting on the
wall, dangling his feet in devil-may-care fashion. Tom jumped down to
meet him.

"Say that again in English, will you?" said Gard angrily.

"Go to--!" said Tom.

Then Gard's left fist caught him on the hinge of the right jaw, and he
reeled back among the others who had jumped down to back him up.

"Well--? Want any more?" asked Gard stormily.

"You wait," growled Tom, nursing his jaw, "I'll talk to you one of these
days."

"Whenever you like, you cur. What you need is a sound thrashing and a
kick over the Coupée."

To his surprise none of the others joined in. But he did not know them.