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Moreover, you should thank me for so much as recognizing the gentleman in you, since you are without the customary trappings of our class." "Oh, I don't know," said Jim. But Monsieur Chatelard was now imperturbable. He continued blandly: "Since you are fond of sea-baths, you will no doubt enjoy a plunge to-night possibly. As we have made rather slow progress, we are really not so far from shore.

Whether he wished or no, Monsieur Chatelard was forced to advance into the range of the doorway; and once there, he found himself pushed unceremoniously into the room. It was a large, cool room, lined with bookcases. Near the middle stood an oblong table covered with green felt and supporting an old brass lamp. Four people were in the room, besides the two new-comers.

The moment was badly chosen: such a scandal, just when the queen was about to re-marry, was fatal to Mary, let alone to Chatelard. Murray took the affair in hand, and, thinking that a public trial could alone save his sister's reputation, he urged the prosecution with such vigour, that Chatelard, convicted of the crime of lese-majeste, was condemned to death.

They were deep in conversation, their backs turned toward the veranda. "I don't see that they look so much alike," announced Jim, who had but recently learned all the causes and effects of the Chatelard business. Aleck's eyes gleamed. "Which one, as they stand there now, do you take to be Miss Redmond?" he asked. "One on the left," answered Jim promptly.

In the pause that followed, Chatelard turned with an insolent shrug toward Agatha. "This lady " and every word had a sneer in it "this lady will testify that I am right." Agatha stared with a face of alarm toward the doorway, where Hand stood silent. "If that is true, Miss Redmond," began the sheriff. "No no!" cried Agatha. "He had nothing to do with it?" questioned the sheriff.

To Jim's ears, every syllable the Frenchman spoke was an insult, and the last words rekindled the fire in his blood. "You shall pay for that speech here and now!" he yelled; and, discarding his revolver, he dealt the Frenchman a short-arm blow. Chatelard, trying to dodge, tripped over the base of the ladder and went down heavily on the floor of the fo'cas'le. He had apparently lost consciousness.

But it happened that about the time when Chatelard was most in love with the queen she was obliged to leave France, as we have said.

Before Jim could see what new thing was happening, Chatelard had turned for one alert instant toward the port side, whence the invading voices came. He was cut off from the stairway, caught in the stern of the yacht, his weapon gone. He gave a quick call in a low voice to the boat below, stepped over the taffrail and then leaped overboard.

"Alas! he was a noble, brave, and handsome young man, with a faithful heart and a hot head, who would defend me to-day, if I had defended him then; but his boldness seemed to me rashness, and his fault a crime. What was to be done? I did not love him. Poor Chatelard! I was very cruel to him." "But you did not prosecute him, it was your brother; you did not condemn him, the judges did."

As he waited for her answer, Agatha suddenly came to herself. Her trembling ceased; she looked about upon them all with her truthful eyes; looked upon Hand standing unconcernedly in the doorway, upon Chatelard in the corner gleaming like an oily devil. "No he had nothing to do with it," she said. Chatelard's laugh beat back her words like a bludgeon. "Liars, all liars!" he cried.