"You know, of course, of some good reason why it should not?"
said he.
"You may be killed," she answered him, and her eyes dilated as
she spoke.
It was so far from anything that he had expected that for a moment
he could only stare at her. Then he thought he had understood. He
laughed as he removed her hands from his shoulders, and stepped
back. This was a shallow device, childish and unworthy in her.
"Can you really think to prevail by attempting to frighten me?" he
asked, and almost sneered.
"Oh, you are surely mad! M. de La Tour d'Azyr is reputed the most
dangerous sword in France."
"Have you never noticed that most reputations are undeserved?
Chabrillane was a dangerous swordsman, and Chabrillane is
underground. La Motte-Royau was an even more dangerous swordsman,
and he is in a surgeon's hands. So are the other spadassinicides
who dreamt of skewering a poor sheep of a provincial lawyer. And
here to-day comes the chief, the fine flower of these
bully-swordsmen. He comes, for wages long overdue.
Pages:
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561