"Saint-Herem!" exclaimed Louis, recognizing his old friend. "You here!" cried Florestan de Saint-Herem, grasping the young man's hand and gazing curiously into his pale face. "May the devil take him for coming in at this moment!" muttered the usurer between his clenched teeth, as he readjusted the collar of his dressing-gown. CHAPTER IX. Florestan de Saint-Herem was a man of thirty, at the most, with handsome features and a commanding, elegant figure. His physiognomy expressed both intelligence and wit, but often wore a mask of supercilious impertinence when addressing persons of the same stamp as the usurer. The first moment of surprise and greeting over, the actors in the foregoing scene resumed their antagonistic attitude toward each other. Louis, still pale with indignation, glared at his adversary fiercely, while the latter faced him defiantly. "To dare raise a hand on me!--an old soldier!" cried the commander, advancing threateningly toward Louis. "This will not pass unpunished, Monsieur Richard!" "As you wish, Monsieur de La Miraudière," returned Louis. "Monsieur de La Miraudière!" repeated Florestan, with a sarcastic laugh. "What! do you take this fellow seriously, my good Louis? Do you believe in his military title, his cross, his campaigns, his wounds, his duels, and his sonorous name of de La Miraudière?" "Your jests are entirely out of place!" cried the usurer, flushing angrily, "and I will not endure them in my own house, Monsieur de Saint-Herem!--Indeed I will not, my dear fellow." "His name is Jerome Porquin, my dear Louis," sneered Saint-Herem, "and it seems admirably chosen, does it not?" Then, turning to the crushed usurer, he added in a tone that admitted of no retort: "Monsieur Porquin, this is the second time I am forced to forbid you to address me as "_your dear fellow_." With me it is a different matter; I have bought and paid for the right of calling you my _dear_, my enormously _dear_, my too _dear_ Monsieur Porquin, for you have swindled me outrageously and cost me a good round sum!" "Sir, I will not suffer this!" cried the wrathful usurer. "Whence comes this timid sensitiveness on the part of M. Porquin?" asked Florestan, derisively. "What has happened? Ah! I see. This _dear_ M. Porquin does not enjoy having his lies and vain pretentious unmasked in your presence, Louis. Well, I will tell you who M. de La Miraudière really is. He once served the rations in the army, and in that capacity went to Madrid during the last war. This is the only service he has ever seen, and he was discharged from that for dishonesty. He has never fought a duel for, to begin with, he is too cowardly, and then he knows well that a gentleman would receive a challenge from him with contempt; and if driven to extremities by his insolence, he would simply teach him a lesson with his walking-stick." "When you stand in need of me you treat me with more delicacy!" sneered the usurer.