"Pithy," retorted Cleopatra sneeringly, "very pithy, but irrelevant." "Not at all, as I will soon show you. Look here, Mrs. Veilsturm, I'm going to be plain, brutally plain." "To do you justice you generally are." "It is necessary in some cases, especially in this one," said Gartney quietly, "but I'm not here to discuss my personal character, but to save my cousin." "From me, I presume." "Exactly! I did not think you would have admitted that." She had made a false move in doing so, and saw that Eustace had taken advantage of her rashness, so, throwing down her book, she sat straight up in her chair, and spoke with firm deliberation. "You're talking nonsense, my dear Mr. Gartney, which is a thing I don't care about. You say you have come here for a certain purpose, perhaps you'll be kind enough to tell me the meaning of that remark." "Certainly," replied Gartney promptly. "I know all about the way you consider yourself to have been slighted by Lady Errington. I know that you have tried your best to inveigle Errington into your net in order to be revenged, and I've come here to ask you to leave my cousin alone, and leave San Remo." "A very cool request, upon my word," cried the Creole viciously, with an evil smile on her angry face, "but one I don't intend to comply with." "I think it will be as well for you to do so." She sprang to her feet in a fury, and stood looking at him, with clenched hands and face convulsed with rage. "You threaten me, do you?" she shrieked savagely. "How dare you--how dare you? I shall tell Major Griff--I shall tell----" "You'll tell no one," said Gartney calmly, "that is, you won't if you are wise." Cleopatra stood silent for a moment, struggling with her temper, then, stamping her foot, walked rapidly up and down the room, Eustace watching her meanwhile, with a sardonic smile on his lips. He, also, had risen to his feet, as, knowing Maraquita's temper of old, he thought it wise to be prepared for possibilities. At last the lady collected herself sufficiently to talk quietly, and stopping opposite her antagonist, spoke in a low, suppressed voice, which was far more deadly in its meaning than the first outburst of wrath. "As you say, we may as well take the buttons off the foils. Consider them removed." "So far, so good," assented Eustace, not taking his eyes off her. "Go on." "Carambo!" "You still remember your Spanish, I see," he said mockingly, "but we're not in South America now." "I wish we were," she hissed savagely, bringing her beautiful, distorted face so close to his own that he felt her hot breath on his cheek. "Oh, I wish we were." "I don't," he replied, without blenching. "You might treat me as you did Manuel----" "No! No!" she cried, a terrified expression flitting across her face. "Not that name!--not that name here!" "Then let us keep to the subject in hand," said Eustace politely.