"
The capable pupil looked at him with a half-sneer. "Ah, that, no,"
said he.
"Let us try. On the fourth disengage I shall touch you. Allons!
En garde!"
And as he promised, so it happened.
The young gentleman who, hitherto, had held no great opinion of
Andre-Louis' swordsmanship, accounting him well enough for purposes
of practice when the master was otherwise engaged, opened wide his
eyes. In a burst of mingled generosity and intoxication, Andre-Louis
was almost for disclosing his method - a method which a little later
was to become a commonplace of the fencing-rooms. Betimes he checked
himself. To reveal his secret would be to destroy the prestige that
must accrue to him from exercising it.
At noon, the academy being empty, M. des Amis called Andre-Louis to
one of the occasional lessons which he still received. And for the
first time in all his experience with Andre-Louis, M. des Amis
received from him a full hit in the course of the first bout. He
laughed, well pleased, like the generous fellow he was.
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