"Leo, you did not see her last night," Nina said, but still with a little embarrassment, "when she meets me in the corridor--oh, such a furious woman!--her face white, her eyes burning. As for her insulting me, what may I care? I am a foreigner, yes; if one says so, I am not wounded. Perhaps the foreigners have better manners a little?--but that is not of importance; no, what I say is, she will be overjoyed to have you fight a duel about her--why, it is glory for her!--every one will talk--your names will be joined in newspapers--when the people see you on the stage they will say, 'Ah, ah, he is back from fighting the duel; he must be mad in love with Miss Burgoyne.' A duel--yes, so unusual in England--every one will talk--ah, that will be the sweetest music for Miss Burgoyne's ears in the whole world--prouder than a queen she will be when the public have your name and her name rumored together. And you do not understand it, Leo!" He had been listening in silence, with something of vexation deepening upon his features. "What you say only makes matters worse and worse!" he exclaimed, presently. "If that were true, Nina--just supposing that were the true state of the case--why, I should be fighting a duel over a woman I don't care twopence about, and with a young jackass whom I could kick across the street! That is what I ought to have done!--why didn't I throw him down-stairs? But the mischief of it is that the thing is now inevitable; I can't back out? I declare I never was in such a quandary in my life before!" "And you will go and put yourself in danger, Leo," Nina said, indignantly, "that a deceitful woman has the pride to hear the public talk! Have you the right to do it? You say there are sometimes accidents--both with swords as pistols--yes, every one knows it. And you put your life in danger--for what? You care nothing for your friends, then?--you think they will not heed much if--if an accident happens? You think it is a light matter--nothing--a trifle done to please a boy and a wicked-minded woman? Leo, I say you have no right to do it! You should have the spirit, the courage, to say 'no!' You should go to that woman and say, 'You think I will make sport for you?--no, I will not!' And as for the foolish boy, if he comes near to you, then you take your riding-whip, Leo, and thrash him!--thrash him--thrash him!" Nina exclaimed, with her teeth set hard; indeed, her bosom was heaving so with indignation that Mrs. Grey put her hand gently on the girl's shoulder, and reminded her that Lionel was in sufficient perplexity, and wanted wise counsel rather than whirling words.