His face was pale； his large eyes looked larger than usual。
〃Ceased to interest you？ Are you not to marry her？〃 Andre…Louis
expelled a cloud of smoke。 〃You cannot wish to be offensive。 Yet
you almost suggest that I live on other men's leavings。〃
〃My God！〃 said Leandre； overcome； and he stared awhile。 Then he
burst out afresh。 〃Are you quite heartless？ Are you always
Scaramouche？〃
〃What do you expect me to do？〃 asked Andre…Louis； evincing surprise
in his own turn； but faintly。
〃I do not expect you to let her go without a struggle。〃
〃But she has gone already。〃 Andre…Louis pulled at his pipe a
moment； what time Leandre clenched and unclenched his hands in
impotent rage。 〃And to what purpose struggle against the
inevitable？ Did you struggle when I took her from you？〃
〃She was not mine to be taken from me。 I but aspired； and you won
the race。 But even had it been otherwise where is the comparison？
That was a thing in honour； this … this is hell。〃
His emotion moved Andre…Louis。 He took Leandre's arm。 〃You're a
good fellow； Leandre。 I am glad I intervened to save you from
your fate。〃
〃Oh； you don't love her！〃 cried the other； passionately。 〃You never
did。 You don't know what it means to love； or you'd not talk like
this。 My God！ if she had been my affianced wife and this had
happened； I should have killed the man … killed him！ Do you hear
me？ But you。。。 Oh； you； you come out here and smoke； and take the
air； and talk of her as another man's leavings。 I wonder I didn't
strike you for the word。〃
He tore his arm from the other's grip； and looked almost as if he
would strike him now。
〃You should have done it；〃 said Andre…Louis。 〃It's in your part。〃
With an imprecation Leandre turned on his heel to go。 Andre…Louis
arrested his departure。
〃A moment； my friend。 Test me by yourself。 Would you marry her
now？〃
〃Would I？〃 The young man's eyes blazed with passion。 〃Would I？
Let her say that she will marry me； and I am her slave。〃
〃Slave is the right word … a slave in hell。〃
〃It would never be hell to me where she was； whatever she had done。
I love her； man； I am not like you。 I love her； do you hear me？〃
〃I have known； it for some time；〃 said Andre…Louis。 〃Though I
didn't suspect your attack of the disease to be quite so violent。
Well； God knows I loved her； too； quite enough to share your thirst
for killing。 For myself； the blue blood of La Tour d'Azyr would
hardly quench this thirst。 I should like to add to it the dirty
fluid that flows in the veins of the unspeakable Binet。〃
For a second his emotion had been out of hand； and he revealed to
Leandre in the mordant tone of those last words something of the
fires that burned under his icy exterior。 The young man caught
him by the hand。
〃I knew you were acting；〃 said he。 〃You feel … you feel as I do。〃
〃Behold us； fellows in viciousness。 I have betrayed myself； it
seems。 Well； and what now？ Do you want to see this pretty Marquis
torn limb from limb？ I might afford you the spectacle。〃
〃What？〃 Leandre stared； wondering was this another of Scaramouche's
cynicisms。
〃It isn't really difficult provided I have aid。 I require only a
little。 Will you lend it me？〃
〃Anything you ask；〃 Leandre exploded。 〃My life if you require it。〃
Andre…Louis took his arm again。 〃Let us walk；〃 he said。 〃I will
instruct you。〃
When they came back the company was already at dinner。 Mademoiselle
had not yet returned。 Sullenness presided at the table。 Columbine
and Madame wore anxious expressions。 The fact was that relations
between Binet and his troupe were daily growing more strained。
Andre…Louis and Leandre went each to his accustomed place。 Binet's
little eyes followed them with a malicious gleam； his thick lips
pouted into a crooked smile。
〃You two are grown very friendly of a sudden；〃 he mocked。
〃You are a man of discernment； Binet；〃 said Scaramouche； the cold
loathing of his voice itself an insult。 〃Perhaps you discern the
reason？〃
〃It is readily discerned。〃
〃Regale the company with it！〃 he begged； and waited。 〃What？ You
hesitate？ Is it possible that there are limits to your
shamelessness？〃
Binet reared his great head。 〃Do you want to quarrel with me；
Scaramouche？〃 Thunder was rumbling in his deep； voice。
〃Quarrel？ You want to laugh。 A man doesn't quarrel with creatures
like you。 We all know the place held in the public esteem by
complacent husbands。 But； in God's name； what place is there at
all for complacent fathers？〃
Binet heaved himself up； a great towering mass of manhood。 Violently
he shook off the restraining hand of Pierrot who sat on his left。
〃A thousand devils！〃 he roared； 〃if you take that tone with me； I'll
break every bone in your filthy body。〃
〃If you were to lay a finger on me； Binet； you would give me the
only provocation I still need to kill you。〃 Andre…Louis was as
calm as ever； and therefore the more menacing。 Alarm stirred the
company。 He protruded from his pocket the butt of a pistol … newly
purchased。 〃I go armed； Binet。 It is only fair to give you warning。
Provoke me as you have suggested； and I'll kill you with no more
compunction than I should kill a slug； which after all is the thing
you most resemble … a slug； Binet； a fat； slimy body； foulness
without soul and without intelligence。 When I come to think of it
I can't suffer to sit at table with you。 It turns my stomach。〃
He pushed away his platter and got up。 〃I'll go and eat at the
ordinary below stairs。〃
Thereupon up jumped Columbine。
〃And I'll come with you； Scaramouche！〃 cried she。
It acted like a signal。 Had the thing been concerted it couldn't
have fallen out more uniformly。 Binet； in fact； was persuaded of
a conspiracy。 For in the wake of Columbine went Leandre； in the
wake of Leandre； Polichinelle and then all the rest together； until
Binet found himself sitting alone at the head of an empty table in
an empty room … a badly shaken man whose rage could afford him no
support against the dread by which he was suddenly invaded。
He sat down to think things out； and he was still at that melancholy
occupation when perhaps a half…hour later his daughter entered the
room； returned at last from her excursion。
She looked pale； even a little scared … in reality excessively
self…conscious now that the ordeal of facing all the company awaited
her。
Seeing no one but her father in the room； she checked on the
threshold。
〃Where is everybody？〃 she asked； in a voice rendered natural by
effort。
M。 Binet reared his great head and turned upon her eyes that were
blood…injected。 He scowled； blew out his thick lips and made harsh
noises in his throat。 Yet he took stock of her； so graceful and
comely and looking so completely the lady of fashion in her long
fur…trimmed travelling coat of bottle green； her muff and her broad
hat adorned by a sparkling Rhinestone buckle above her adorably
coiffed brown hair。 No need to fear the future whilst he owned
such a daughter； let Scaramouche play what tricks he would。
He expressed； however； none of these comforting reflections。
〃So you're back at last； little fool；〃 he growled in greeting。 〃I
was beginning to ask myself if we should perform this evening。 It
wouldn't greatly have surprised me if you had not returned in time。
Indeed； since you have chosen to play the fine hand you held in
your own way and scorning my advice； nothing can surprise me。〃
She crossed the room to the table； and leaning against it； looked
down upon him almost disdainfully。
〃I have nothing to regret；〃 she said。
〃So every fool says at first。 Nor would you admit it if you had。
You are like that。 You go your own way in spite of advice from
older heads。 Death of my life； girl； what do you know of men？〃
〃I am not complaining；〃 she reminded him。
〃No； but you may be presently； when you discover that you would have
done better to have been guided by your old father。 So long as your
Marquis languished for you； there was nothing you could not have
done with the fool。 So long as you let him have no more than your
fingertips to kiss。。。 ah； name of a name！ that was the time to
build your future。 If you live to be a thousand you'll never have
such a chance again； and you've squandered it； for what？〃
Mademoiselle sat down。… 〃You're sordid；〃 she said； with disgust。
〃Sordid； am I？〃 His thick lips curled again。 〃I have had enough of
the dregs of life； and so I should have thought have you。 You held
a hand on which to have won a fortune if you had played it as I
bade you。 Well； you've played it； and where's the fortune？ We can
whistle for that as a sailor whistles for wind。 And； by Heaven；
we'll need to whistle presently if the weather in the troupe
continues as it's set in。 That scoundrel Scaramouche has been at
his ape's tricks with them。 They've suddenly turned moral。 They
won't sit at table with me any more。〃 He was spluttering between
anger and sardonic mirth。 〃It was your friend Scaramouche set them
the example of that。 He threatened my life actually。 Threatened my
life！ Called me。。。 Oh； but what does that matter？ What matters is
that the next thing to happen to us will be that the Binet Troupe
will discover it can manage without M。 Binet and his daughter。
This scoundrelly bastard I've befriended has little by little
robbed me of everything。 It's in his power to…day to rob me of my
troupe； and the knave's ungrateful enough and vile enough to make
use of his power。
〃Let him；〃 said mademoiselle contemptuously。
〃Let him？〃 He was aghast。 〃And what's to become of us？〃
〃In no case will the Binet Troupe interest me much longer；〃 said
she。 〃I shall be going to Paris soon。 There are better theatres
there than the Feydau。 There's Mlle。 Montansier's theatre in the
Palais Royal； there's the Ambigu Comique； there's the Comedie
Francaise； there's even a possibility I may have a theatre of my
own。〃
His eyes grew big for once。 He stretched out a fat hand； and
placed it on one of hers。 She noticed that it trembled。
〃Has he promised that？ Has he promised？〃
She looked at him with her head on one side； eyes