"O Peregrine!" she gasped, and though I never so much as glanced in her direction, I knew she had shrunk farther from me. "Some day, oh, some day, Peregrine, you will regret this bitterly--bitterly--" Her voice broke, and in its place came Devereux's hateful tones: "'My charming friend' is well aware that her society is my joy and delight, nor shall I cheat myself of one moment on your account, sir, whoever you chance to be." "Why, then," said I, laying my card on the table, "the lady's presence need not deter us, I think. Let us be done with the affair at once." "Absolutely and utterly impossible, sir!" he answered, taking up my card. "Since you desire me to kill you, I will do so with a perfect pleasure, but at my own time and place and--" Here he paused as he read my name, and stood a moment staring down at the pasteboard with that same faint pucker of the brow; then he laughed suddenly and tossed my card to Captain Danby. "Odd, Tom!" said he; then turning to me, "Mr. Vereker, I will meet you at the very earliest moment--shall we say five o'clock to-morrow morning? There is a small tavern called 'The Anchor' a few miles along the Maidstone road, a remote spot very suitable for a little shooting. And now, sir, pray begone. I am occupied, as you see--while my friends pour libations to Bacchus, I worship at the shrine of Venus." Here, turning very ostentatiously, he bowed to Diana, viewing her with look so evil that I clenched my fists and made to spring at him, but Anthony's powerful hand arrested me: "Come away, Perry," he whispered, "you can do no more to-night. Don't show 'em your pain--pride, man, pride! Come away, old fellow." So I suffered him to lead me whither he would, following the impulse of his guiding arm like a blind man, for the shadow had closed in blacker than ever, to engulf me at last, and it seemed that my only escape from this horror was to grasp the kindly hand of Death. Once clear of this accursed house I was seized of a great disgust, a nausea that was both mental and physical, and I groaned aloud in my extremity. "O God, Anthony! Oh, my God!" At this he clasped me in his arms and I stood awhile, shivering, my face hidden in his bosom. "Dear fellow!" he muttered. "Women are the devil. I know--I'm married, d'ye see!" Faint and far away a church clock struck the hour. "What time was that?" I enquired. "Eleven o'clock, Perry." "Six weary hours to wait!" I groaned. "B'gad, yes--only six hours!" "Thank God!" quoth I fervently, and so we went on again, arm in arm. "You mean to kill that damned fellow, Peregrine?" "If they place us near enough." "You are good for twelve paces, I suppose?" "I don't know." "But you--you shoot reasonably well, of course?" "Very badly! This was why I was so anxious to do my shooting across a table--" "But you--you--O Lord, Perry--you are familiar with the weapon--practised at the galleries occasionally?"