"I repeat, sir, your ward is in danger," said the
seigneur doggedly.

"Not at all. Is the diamond in danger when it is
put into the crucible; is the gold deteriorated when
it is being deterged from dross?" was responded.

"Infatuated man, would you open the door to the
seducer?" asked the seigneur, growing angry with
the contumelious lawyer.

"Seducer!" said the advocate, affecting to be
shocked: "that is a huge stone to throw at your own
son: and remember; is not every man's frame a glass
house, whereat the soul that inhabits it should invite
no stone throwing from the little red catapult of a
neighbour's tongue? Beware, beware; have mercy,
Monsieur Montigny. 'All flesh is grass,' the Pro-
phet proclaims; but I assert, 'All flesh is glass.'"

"A woman's reputation is as brittle," was the
seigneur's ready repartee; "therefore warn off my son
from Stillyside."

"But should he not regard me, sir, what then?"

"Brandish the law over him, your chosen weapon,"
answered the seigneur.

The lawyer suddenly looked grave, and, affecting to
be offended, demanded sternly: "Monsieur Montigny,
am I a mere mechanic to do your bidding? Brandish
the law indeed! Is, then, the law but an ordinary
cudgel, to thwack the shoulders with or beat the
brains out? The law, sir, is a sacred weapon, not to
be lightly taken up, neither to be profanely applied
to paltry uses, any more than we would take the
tempered razor to pick a bone, or pare our cheese
with. Brandish the law! The man that can talk
of brandishing the law would brandish a piece of the

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