"It does not matter," replied Harmon; "we have not waited long. Affairs of this kind require prompt action. An insult lasts but twenty-four hours, and my friend and principal has no desire to put you to the inconvenience of repeating your action of this evening. We are taking it for granted that you have a friend prepared to act for you; for your conduct appeared to be premeditated." "You are quite right," answered Streeter; "I have two friends to whom I shall be pleased to introduce you. Come this way, if you will be so kind." The preliminaries were speedily arranged, and the meeting was to take place next morning at daylight, with pistols. Now that everything was settled, the prospect did not look quite so pleasant to Streeter as it had done when he left London. Davison had asked for no explanation; but that, of course, could be accounted for, because this critical sneak must be well aware of the reason for the insult. Still, Streeter had rather expected that he would perhaps have simulated ignorance, and on receiving enlightenment might have avoided a meeting to apologizing. Anyhow, Streeter resolved to make a night of it. He left his friends to arrange for a carriage, and see to all that was necessary, while he donned his war-paint and departed for a gathering to which he had been invited, and where he was to meet many of his countrymen and countrywomen, in a fashionable part of Paris. His hostess appeared to be overjoyed at seeing him. "You are so late," she said, "that I was afraid something had occurred to keep you from coming altogether." "Nothing could have prevented me from coming," said Streeter, gallantly, "where Mrs. Woodford is hostess!" "Oh, that is very nice of you, Mr. Streeter!" answered the lady; "but I must not stand here talking with you, for I have promised to introduce you to Miss Neville, who wishes very much to meet you. She is a great admirer of yours, and has read all your books." "There are not very many of them," said Streeter, with a laugh; "and such as they are, I hope Miss Neville thinks more of them than I do myself." "Oh, we all know how modest authors are!" replied his hostess, leading him away to be introduced. Miss Neville was young and pretty, and she was evidently pleased to meet the rising young author. "I have long wanted to see you," she said, "to have a talk with you about your books." "You are very kind," said Streeter, "but perhaps we might choose something more profitable to talk about?" "I am not so sure of that. Doubtless you have been accustomed to hear only the nice things people say about you. That is the misfortune of many authors." "It is a misfortune," answered Streeter. "What a writer needs is somebody to tell him the truth." "Ah!" said Miss Neville, "that is another thing I am not so sure about. Mrs. Woodford has told you, I suppose, that I have read all your books? Did she add that I detested them?"