Coming into that upstairs room that was common to all the troupe, he found M. Binet talking loudly and vehemently.  He had caught sounds of his voice whilst yet upon the stairs.  As he entered Binet broke off short, and wheeled to face him.

“You are here at last!” It was so odd a greeting that Andre-Louis did no more than look his mild surprise.  “I await your explanations of the disgraceful scene you provoked to-night.”

“Disgraceful?  Is it disgraceful that the public should applaud me?”

“The public?  The rabble, you mean.  Do you want to deprive us of the patronage of all gentlefolk by vulgar appeals to the low passions of the mob?”

Andre-Louis stepped past M. Binet and forward to the table.  He shrugged contemptuously.  The man offended him, after all.

“You exaggerate grossly — as usual.”

“I do not exaggerate.  And I am the master in my own theatre.  This is the Binet Troupe, and it shall be conducted in the Binet way.”

“Who are the gentlefolk the loss of whose patronage to the Feydau will be so poignantly felt?” asked Andre-Louis.

“You imply that there are none?  See how wrong you are.  After the play to-night M. le Marquis de La Tour d’Azyr came to me, and spoke to me in the severest terms about your scandalous outburst.  I was forced to apologize, and... "

“The more fool you,” said Andre-Louis.  “A man who respected himself would have shown that gentleman the door.”  M. Binet’s face began to empurple.  “You call yourself the head of the Binet Troupe, you boast that you will be master in your own theatre, and you stand like a lackey to take the orders of the first insolent fellow who comes to your green-room to tell you that he does not like a line spoken by one of your company!  I say again that had you really respected yourself you would have turned him out.”

There was a murmur of approval from several members of the company, who, having heard the arrogant tone assumed by the Marquis, were filled with resentment against the slur cast upon them all.

“And I say further,” Andre-Louis went on, “that a man who respects himself, on quite other grounds, would have been only too glad to have seized this pretext to show M. de La Tour d’Azyr the door.”

“What do you mean by that?” There was a rumble of thunder in the question.

Andre-Louis’ eyes swept round the company assembled at the supper-table.  “Where is Climene?” he asked, sharply.

Leandre leapt up to answer him, white in the face, tense and quivering with excitement.

“She left the theatre in the Marquis de La Tour d’Azyr’s carriage immediately after the performance.  We heard him offer to drive her to this inn.”

Andre-Louis glanced at the timepiece on the overmantel.  He seemed unnaturally calm.

“That would be an hour ago — rather more.  And she has not yet arrived?”