Part 37 (2/2)
”I have known it for soh I didn't suspect your attack of the disease to be quite so violent Well, God knows I loved her, too, quite enough to share your thirst for killing
For myself, the blue blood of La Tour d'Azyr would hardly quench this thirst I should like to add to it the dirty fluid that flows in the veins of the unspeakable Binet”
For a second his emotion had been out of hand, and he revealed to Leandre in theof the fires that burned under his icy exterior The young ,” said he ”You feel--you feel as I do”
”Behold us, fellows in viciousness I have betrayed myself, it seems
Well, and what now? Do you want to see this pretty Marquis torn liht afford you the spectacle”
”What?” Leandre stared, wondering was this another of Scaramouche's cynicisms
”It isn't really difficult provided I have aid I require only a little
Will you lend ityou ask,” Leandre exploded ”My life if you require it”
Andre-Louis took his arain ”Let us walk,” he said ”I will instruct you”
When they came back the company was already at dinner Mademoiselle had not yet returned Sullenness presided at the table Columbine and Madame wore anxious expressions The fact was that relations between Binet and his troupe were daily growing more strained
Andre-Louis and Leandre went each to his accustomed place Binet's little eyes followed theleam, his thick lips pouted into a crooked srown very friendly of a sudden,” he mocked
”You are a man of discern of his voice itself an insult ”Perhaps you discern the reason?”
”It is readily discerned”
”Regale the coed; and waited ”What? You hesitate? Is it possible that there are lireat head ”Do you want to quarrel within his deep voice
”Quarrel? You want to laugh A man doesn't quarrel with creatures like you We all know the place held in the public esteem by complacent husbands But, in God's name, what place is there at all for coreat toweringhand of Pierrot who sat on his left
”A thousand devils!” he roared; ”if you take that tone with me, I'll break every bone in your filthy body”
”If you were to lay a finger on ive me the only provocation I still need to kill you” Andre-Louis was as cal Alarm stirred the company He protruded froo ar Provoke ested, and I'll kill you with no , which after all is the thing you , Binet; a fat, slience When I come to think of it I can't suffer to sit at table with you It turns ot up ”I'll go and eat at the ordinary below stairs”
Thereupon up jumped Columbine
”And I'll come with you, Scaranal Had the thing been concerted it couldn't have fallen out more uniformly Binet, in fact, was persuaded of a conspiracy For in the wake of Columbine went Leandre, in the wake of Leandre, Polichinelle and then all the rest together, until Binet found hi alone at the head of an ee could afford hiainst the dread by which he was suddenly invaded
He sat down to think things out, and he was still at that hter entered the room, returned at last from her excursion
She looked pale, even a little scared--in reality excessively self-conscious now that the ordeal of facing all the co no one but her father in the room, she checked on the threshold