“M. St. Jacques! And you take it without a word of complaint.”

This time, he laughed.

“Complaint never mends a split head, Miss Howard. We Frenchmen take our knocks and say nothing.”

“Is that aimed at Mr. Barth?” Nancy asked.

St. Jacques shook his head; but his lips and eyes denied the gesture of negation.

“Really,” she urged; “he didn’t complain.”

“No; but he talked about it more than I cared to listen.”

“Aren’t you a little hard on him, M. St. Jacques?”

The Frenchman looked up in surprise.

“Is he your friend, then?” he queried gravely.