"On the contrary, monsieur, this explanation is the natural consequence of that affair." "Be more explicit, if you please, monsieur." "I will. At that entertainment at the house of Madame de Senneterre, in the garden, under a clump of lilacs, in the presence of several gentlemen, and notably M. de Morainville and M. d'Hauterive here, you had the audacity to calumniate Madame la Comtesse de Beaumesnil in the most shameless manner." "Monsieur!" "Without either compassion or consideration for an unfortunate lady who was then lying at the point of death," continued the hunchback, interrupting M. de Mornand, indignantly, "you insulted her in the most cowardly manner and even went so far as to say that no honourable man would ever marry the daughter of such a mother as Madame de Beaumesnil." And at a hasty movement on the part of M. de Mornand, who was white with rage, the marquis, turning to Messrs. de Morainville and d'Hauterive, asked: "Is it not true that M. de Mornand made that remark in your presence, gentlemen?" "M. de Mornand did make that remark in our presence," they replied. "It is impossible for us to deny the fact." "And I, myself, unseen by you, heard you make it, monsieur," continued the hunchback, "and, carried away with just indignation, I could not help exclaiming, 'Scoundrel!'" "So it was you!" cried Mornand, furious to see all his hopes of future wealth thus rudely blighted. "Yes, it was I, and that is why I just told Mlle. de Beaumesnil that she could not and should not dance with you, monsieur,--a man who had publicly defamed her mother; and I leave it to these gentlemen here if I have not done perfectly right to interfere in this matter." A silence that was anything but complimentary to M. de Mornand followed the words of the hunchback. De Ravil alone ventured to speak. It was in an ironical tone. "M. le marquis must be trying to pose as a paladin or knight-errant to inflict a wound upon a gallant gentleman, as a sort of memento, merely to prevent him from dancing a quadrille with Mlle. de Beaumesnil some day."