"Lower, monsieur, I beg you. If Monsieur d'Ars will kindly listen to me a few steps away from here, I will tell him who that woman was, unless you prefer to vilify and besmirch her name before your servants." "My servants are better men than you and yours, monsieur! No matter! I am exceedingly desirous that you should impart your secret to Monsieur d'Ars, but in my presence, as you have already given me one version of it." The three walked away from the group, and the marquis spoke first. "Come," he said, "explain yourself! You allege as your defence that that woman was your sister!" "And do you, monsieur," retorted D'Alvimar, "propose to vent your factitious rage by giving me the lie again?" "By no means, monsieur. I ask you to tell us your sister's name; for it seems that your own name is not Villareal." "Why so, monsieur?" "Because I know it now. Dare to contradict me before Monsieur d'Ars, whom you are also deceiving by an assumed name!" "No, no!" said Guillaume; "monsieur is concealing his identity under one of his family names, and I know perfectly well the name he usually bears." "In that case, cousin, let him say what it is, and I swear that, if it proves to be the same as my deceased sister-in-law's, I will retire with apologies to both of you." "And I refuse to tell it," said D'Alvimar. "I supposed that between gentlemen a simple assertion should suffice; but you insult me without pause or prudence. A duel is what you seek, and your wish shall be gratified." "No! a hundred times no!" cried Guillaume. "Let us have done with this; and as nothing more is necessary than to tell the marquis your name to induce him to withdraw in peace, I----" "I beg you not to forget," interposed D'Alvimar, "that you expose me----" "No! my cousin is too honorable a man to betray you to your enemies. Understand, marquis, and I place this information under the safeguard of your honor, that monsieur's name is Sciarra d'Alvimar." "Oho!" rejoined the marquis with a sneer. "So monsieur's initials happen to be identical with those of the stamp of the Salamanca factory?" "What do you mean?" "Nothing! I am simply nailing another of monsieur's lies as I pass; but this one is so trifling compared with the others----" "What others? Come, come, marquis, you are too persistent!" "Hush, Guillaume!" said D'Alvimar, still affecting a disdainful attitude. "This must end in a sword thrust. We are simply wasting time." "Ah! but I am not in so much haste now," rejoined the marquis. "I insist upon knowing the baptismal name and the family name of the sister of Monsieur de Villareal, de Sciarra and d'Alvimar. I know that the Spaniards have many names; but if he will tell me simply that lady's real name, her family name----" "If you know it," retorted D'Alvimar, "your persistence in making me tell it is an additional insult."