"What has happened, my dear M. de Mornand?" asked the baron, in his turn. "I thought I saw you talking with that accursed hunchback, whose insolence and audacity really exceed all bounds." "You are right, monsieur," replied the prospective minister, his face darkening. "M. de Maillefort seems to think he can do anything he pleases. Such insolence as his must be put a stop to. He actually had the impertinence to forbid your ward's dancing with me." "And she obeyed him?" exclaimed the baron. "What else could the poor girl do after such an injunction?" "Why this is abominable, outrageous, inconceivable!" exclaimed the baron. "I will go to my ward at once, and--" "That is useless now," said M. de Mornand. Then, turning to Ravil, he added: "Come with me. I must have an explanation with M. de Maillefort. He is waiting for me in the gallery." "I, too, will accompany you," added the baron. As the three gentlemen approached the hunchback, they saw Messrs. de Morainville and d'Hauterive standing beside him, as well as five or six other men who had been assembled at the request of the marquis. "M. de Maillefort, I have a few words of explanation to ask of you," said M. de Mornand, in coldly polite tones. "I am at your service, monsieur." "Then, if agreeable to you, you and I will go to the picture-gallery. Ask one of your friends to accompany you." "I am not disposed to comply with your request, monsieur, for I intend to have our explanation as public as possible." "Monsieur?" "I do not see why you should fear publicity if I do not." "So be it, then," responded M. de Mornand, "so I ask you here before these gentleman, why, when I had the honour to invite a certain young lady to dance a few minutes ago, you took the liberty of saying to that young lady, 'Mlle. de Beaumesnil can not and must not dance with M. de Mornand.' Those were your very words." "Those were my very words, monsieur. You have an excellent memory. I hope it will not play you false, presently." "And I wish to say to M. de Maillefort," interposed the baron, "that he arrogates to himself an authority, a right, and a surveillance which belong to me exclusively, for in telling my ward that--" "My dear baron," said the marquis, smilingly, interrupting M. de la Rochaigue, "you are a model, paragon, and example for all guardians, past, present and future, as I will prove to you later, but permit me now to reply to M. de Mornand, whom I have just had the honour to congratulate upon his excellent memory, and to ask him if he recollects something I said to him at a certain _matinee dansante_ given by the Duchesse de Senneterre,--something in relation to a slight scratch that was intended to fix in his memory a date which I might have occasion to remind him of at some future day." "That is true, monsieur," said M. de Mornand, "but that affair has not the slightest connection with the explanation I just demanded of you."