already accounted himself, and on the strength of the logic that if
a man must hang, a sheep as well as a lamb may be the cause of it,
he took what chances the time afforded him to pile up his debt.

"There is neither insolence nor presumption in what I have done,"
he answered, giving back the Marquis look for look and scowl for
scowl. "You deem it so because I am the secretary to the Marquis
de Bellecour and she is the daughter of that same Marquis. But
these are no more than the fortuitous circumstances in which we
chance to find ourselves. That she is a woman must take rank before
the fact that she is your daughter, and that I am a man must take
rank before the fact that I am your secretary. Not, then, as your
secretary speaking to your daughter have I told this lady that I
love her, but as a man speaking to a woman. To utter that should
be - nay, is - the right of every man; to hear it should be honouring
to every woman worthy of the name. In a primitive condition - "

"A thousand devils!" blazed the Marquis, unable longer to contain
himself. "Am I to have my ears offended by this braying? Miserable
scum, you shall be taught what is due to your betters."

His whip cracked suddenly, and the lash leapt serpentlike into the
air, to descend and coil itself about La Boulaye's head and face.
A cry broke from the young man, as much of pain as of surprise, and
as the lash was drawn back, he clapped his hands to his seared face.
But again he felt it, cutting him now across the hand with which he
had masked himself. With a maddened roar he sprang upon his
aggressor. In height he was the equal of the Marquis, but in weight
he seemed to be scarce more than the half of his opponent's. Yet
a nervous strength dwelt unsuspected in those lean arms and steely