Part 10 (1/2)

”They are looking for us,” Seth whispered. ”It may be the lady cannot come and has sent them to tell us so.”

”Four of them!” Barrington said.

He did not move. These men were not lackeys, they were gentlemen.

Barrington wondered whether they had chosen this secluded spot to settle some private quarrel of last night's making.

”Scented danger and gone,” said one.

Another shook his head and stared into the depths of the wood before him with such a keen pair of eyes that Barrington believed he must be seen.

”Not a man to run from danger,” he said, ”unless mademoiselle were strangely deceived.”

The remark decided Barrington's course of action. He stepped forward followed by Seth, who tied up the horses again and then took up a position behind his master.

”Are you seeking me, gentlemen?”

”If your name be Monsieur Barrington,” the man with the keen eyes answered.

”It is.”

The four men bowed low and Barrington did the same.

”My companion thought we were too late,” said the spokesman, ”but I had a different opinion. We are four gentlemen devoted to Mademoiselle St.

Clair, and she has charged us with a commission.”

”You are very welcome unless you bring bad news,” said Barrington.

”For you it may be,” was the answer with a smile. ”Mademoiselle will not need you to escort her to Paris.”

Barrington had not sought such an honor. Until the moment he had fastened her mask, touching her hair and touched by her personality, he would rather have been without the honor; now he was disappointed, angry. She had found another escort and despised him. She was as other women, unreliable, changeable, inconstant.

”You bring some proof that mademoiselle has entrusted you with this message.”

”This,” was the answer, and the man held up the little iron star.

”I am not greatly grieved to be relieved of such a responsibility, gentlemen,” said Barrington, with a short laugh. ”Perhaps you will tell mademoiselle so.”

”Pardon, but monsieur hardly understands. For some purpose monsieur came to Beauvais with an attempt to deceive mademoiselle with this little iron trinket. It is not possible to let such a thing pa.s.s, and it is most undesirable that monsieur should be allowed to have the opportunity of again practicing such deceit. Mademoiselle listened to him, feigned to be satisfied with his explanation, in fact, met deceit with deceit.

My opinion was that half a dozen lackeys should be sent to chastise monsieur, but mademoiselle decided otherwise. You were too good to die by a lackey's hand, she declared, therefore, monsieur, we are here.”

”Four gentlemen for six lackeys!” laughed Barrington. ”It is a strange computation of values.”

”The methods are different,” was the answer. ”I think we do you too much honor, but mademoiselle has willed it. We have already arranged our order of precedence, and monsieur has the pleasure of first crossing swords with me. If his skill is greater than mine, then he will have the pleasure of meeting these other gentlemen. You have my word for honorable treatment, but it is necessary that the fight is to the death.”

”And my servant here?”

The man shrugged his shoulders. Seth was beneath his consideration.

”There would have been fewer words with the lackeys' method, I presume,”

said Barrington. ”I am not inclined to fight a duel.”