"Have patience, pray, madam. Ay, the shame! You know what figure he hath cut in Bath since that evening. All ran merrily with him until several days ago Captain Badger denounced him as an impostor, vowing that Chateaurien was nothing.""Pardon," interrupted M. Beaucaire. "'Castle Nowhere' would have been so much better. Why did you not make him say it that way, monsieur?"Lady Mary started; she was looking at the Duke, and her face was white. He continued: "Poor Captam Badger was stabbed that same day. - ""Most befitting poor Captain Badger," muttered Molyneux.
" - - And his adversary had the marvelous insolence to declare that he fought in my quarrel! This afternoon the wounded man sent for me, and imparted a very horrifying intelligence. He had discovered a lackey whom he had seen waiting upon Beaucaire in attendance at the door of this Chateaurien's lodging. Beaucaire had disappeared the day before Chateaurien's arrival. Captain Badger looked closely at Chateaurien at their next meeting, and identified him with the missing Beaucaire beyond the faintest doubt. Overcome with indignation, he immediately proclaimed the impostor. Out of regard for me, he did not charge him with being Beaucaire; the poor soul was unwilling to put upon me the humiliation of having introduced a barber; but the secret weighed upon him till he sent for me and put everything in my hands. I accepted the odium; thinking only of atonement. I went to Sir John Wimpledon's fite. I took poor Sir Hugh, there, and these other gentlemen aside, and told them my news.
We narrowly observed this man, and were shocked at our simplicity in not having discovered him before. These are men of honor and cool judgment, madam. Mr. Molyneux had acted for him in the affair of Captain Badger, and was strongly prejudiced in his favor; but Mr. Molyneux, Sir Hugh, Mr. Bantison, every one of them, in short, recognized him. In spite of his smooth face and his light hair, the adventurer Beaucaire was writ upon him amazing plain. Look at him, madam, if he will dare the inspection. You saw this Beaucaire well, the day of his expulsion from the rooms. Is not this he?"M. Beaucaire stepped close to her. Her pale face twitched.
"Look!" he said.
"Oh, oh!" she whispered with a dry throat, and fell back in the carriage.
"Is it so?" cried the Duke.
"I do not know. - I - cannot tell."
"One moment more. I begged these gentlemen to allow me to wipe out the insult I had unhappily offered to Bath, but particularly to you. They agreed not to forestall me or to interfere. I left Sir John Wimpledon's early, and arranged to give the sorry rascal a lashing under your own eyes, a satisfaction due the lady into whose presence he had dared to force himself.""'Noblesse oblige'?" said M. Beaucaire in a tone of gentle inquiry.
"And now, madam," said the Duke, "I will detain you not one second longer. I plead the good purpose of my intentions, begging you to believe that the desire to avenge a hateful outrage, next to the wish to serve you, forms the dearest motive in the heart of Winterset.""Bravo!" cried Beaucaire softly.
Lady Mary leaned toward him, a thriving terror in her eyes. "It is false?" she faltered.
"Monsieur should not have been born so high. He could have made little book'.""You mean it is false?" she cried breathlessly.
"'Od's blood, is she not convinced?" broke out Mr. Bantison.
"Fellow, were you not the ambassador's barber?""It is all false?" she whispered.
"The mos' fine art, mademoiselle. How long you think it take M. de Winterset to learn that speech after he write it out? It is a mix of what is true and the mos' chaste art. Monsieur has become a man of letters. Perhaps he may enjoy that more than the wars. Ha, ha!"Mr. Bantison burst into a roar of laughter. "Do French gentlemen fight lackeys? Ho, ho, ho! A pretty country! We English do as was done to-night, have our servants beat them.""And attend ourselves," added M. Beaucaire, looking at the Duke, "somewhat in the background? But, pardon," he mocked, "that remind'
me. Francois, return to Mr. Bantison and these gentlemen their weapons.""Will you answer a question?" said Molyneux mildly.
"Oh, with pleasure, monsieur."
"Were you ever a barber?"
"No, monsieur," laughed the young man.
"Pah!" exclaimed Bantison. "Let me question him. Now, fellow, a confession may save you from jail. Do you deny you are Beaucaire?""Deny to a such judge?"
"Ha!" said Bantison. "What more do you want, Molyneux? Fellow, do you deny that you came to London in the ambassador's suite?""No, I do not deny."
"He admits it! Didn't you come as his barber?""Yes, my frien', as his barber." Lady Mary cried out faintly, and, shuddering, put both hands over her eyes.
"I'm sorry," said Molyneux. "You fight like a gentleman.""I thank you, monsieur."
"You called yourself Beaucaire?"
"Yes, monsieur." He was swaying to and fro; his servants ran to support him.
"I wish - " continued Molyncux, hesitating. "Evil take me! - but I'm sorry you're hurt.""Assist Sir Hugh into my carriage," said Lady Mary.
"Farewell, mademoiselle!" M. Beaucaire's voice was very faint. His eyes were fixed upon her face. She did not look toward him.
They were propping Sir Hugh on the cushions. The Duke rode up close to Beaucaire, but Francois seized his bridle fiercely, and forced the horse back on its haunches.
"The man's servants worship him," said Molyneux.
"Curse your insolence!" exclaimed the Duke. "How much am I to bear from this varlet and his varlets? Beaucaire, if you have not left Bath by to-morrow noon, you will be clapped into jail, and the lashing you escaped to-night shall be given you thrice tenfold!""I shall be-in the - Assemily - Room' at nine - o'clock, one week - from - to-night," answered the young man, smiling jauntily, though his lips were colorless. The words cost him nearly all his breath and strength. "You mus' keep - in the - backgroun', monsieur. Ha, ha!" The door of the coach closed with a slam.
"Mademoiselle - fare - well!"
"Drive on!" said Lady Mary.
M. Beaucaire followed the cariiage with his eyes. As the noise of the wheels and the hoof-beats of the accompanying cavalcade grew fainter in the distance, the handkerchief he had held against his side dropped into the white dust, a heavy red splotch.
"Only - roses," he gasped, and fell back in the arms of his servants.
