more pleasure than a look of frank directness. At the same moment, the tap of the bow upon the fiddle announced the re-commencement of the dance. Coron had only time to make a hurried engagement for the next figure, and retire with his companion from the floor, when the master's voice again set all in motion.
At the same moment, Napoleon Le Vert—a young man who might have been called well-looking but for a certain fullness about the corners of the mouth, which invariably indicates a hot but selfish temper—pushed rudely through the crowd, and forced Marie to pause in the movement.
"Shall we dance the next figure together, Marie?" he asked in a tone which sounded more like command than request.
"I am engaged to Monsieur de Cheville for the next," said Marie, timidly; "but the following one ———"
"I am engaged for that, myself," he interrupted, and abruptly turned away. A flush of anger rose to her face; but, without otherwise noticing his rudeness, she recommenced the dance.
It so happened, that she had been arrested very near the place where De Cheville and his companion had taken their stand among the spectators; and, though the former did not overhear the words of the brief conversation, he comprehended the pantomime sufficiently to see that Napoleon was uncivil and offensive, and that Marie was distressed. His blood boiled with indignation. He was about to intercept and accost Le Vert, when the latter pushed past, and roughly jostled him, evidently on purpose. Coron put out his hand and stopped him.
"What do you mean by pushing me thus?" he asked, in as calm a voice as he could command.
"If you are so dull as not to understand it," answered the other, "perhaps you will know what this means!" And he struck him on the check with his open hand.
The insult was scarcely complete, when De Cheville seized him by the throat, and, jerking him from his feet, pitched him headlong through the open window upon the corridor. Beman grasped his arm, and the crowd rushed forward to interfere; but, shaking them off, he sprang through the casement, almost upon the prostrate Le
