your speech."

"_Canaille_," he returned, in tone of undisguised contempt, "Canadian
half-breeds, the very offscourings of our people. _Sacre_! but you
should know us at home, Monsieur,--we are the conquerors of the world!"

I wish I could picture to you how he said this. Simple as it now
reads, he made it vital with meaning. The insolent boast was uttered
with such a swagger that my face instantly flushed, and he noted it.

"Is it not true, Monsieur?" he asked quickly, his own blood heated by
the wine. "I tell you, the whole of Europe has trembled, and will
again, at the nod of our Napoleon. Why, even over here we had to come
with our legions to help you repel the redcoats. Saint Guise! but it
was the Frenchmen who made you a nation."

"Ay! but only that they might revenge themselves upon England," I
retorted blindly, "and the force sent merely hurried a result already
inevitable; yet we gave you a slight touch of our own quality in '98
that stung a bit, I warrant."

"Bah! a ship or two. 'Twas well for you that our army was so closely
engaged elsewhere, or the story would have a different ending."

We were both of us upon our feet by this time, glaring at each other
across the board, our faces hot with the ill-restrained passion of
youth. A word more from either would surely have precipitated matters;
but before it could be spoken the door leading into the hallway was
hurriedly flung aside, and, without apology for the intrusion, two men
strode forward into the glare of light.