Part 26 (1/2)
But oddly enough, he was not disturbed
”On the road, to be sure,” said ht, Henry, youmore Was there no one here when you arrived?”
”There was,” I said, ”but I sent hihed and shtfully
”I fear that I have become quite hopeless As you say, if I fire a pistol, they will come, and now I can hardly see any reason to keep them away So you sent him to the house, ot the paper? Can it be that I have failed in everything?
Strange how the cards fall even if we stack the deck Ah, well, then it is the pistols after all”
There was a blinding flash and the roar of a weapon close beside me, and I heard Mademoiselle scream My father turned to quiet his horse
”Do not be alar each other I a my son to his senses”
He paused, reached under his cloak, drew a second pistol and fired again
Fro pleasantly to htly ”They should be here in three minutes at the outside Shall we sit a while and talk, looht my rendezvous was ten miles to the north Lord, what fools they were!
Lawton bit at the letter I let hih it were pork Ah, if it had not been for Jason! Well, everything ”
He threw his bridle over his arhtly buoyant, as though soht were lifted from his mind Hastily I seized his arm
”Stop!” I cried ”What is to become of Madeotten she is with us?”
Seelanced toward the road, and then back at hter, genuine and care-free, gave ruity of it set enuine concern?
”Good God, sir!” I shouted furiously ”There's nothing to laugh about!
Don't you hear theht that would fetch you So you have coether? Untie your horse, Henry, while I charge the pistols”
My hand was on the bridle rein, when a shout close by us made me loosen the knot more quickly than I intended I couldtowards us at full gallop
”It must be Lawton,” observed my father evenly ”He is wellI shall help Mademoiselle, if she will permit No, it is not Lawton I am sorry”
He raised his arm and fired My horse started at the sound of his shot, and as I tried to quiet him, I saw my father lift Madeain, ”I think it is ti These men seem to have a most commendable determination Ha! There are two allop, e the marsh”
”The marsh!+” I exclaimed
”Quite,” he replied tranquilly ”If Brutus is alive, he will have a boat near the dunes opposite It seee”
It seeone quite mad The marsh, he kneell as I, was as full of holes as a piece of cheese Even in the daytime one could hardly ride across it And then I knew that what he said was true, that he would stop at nothing; and suddenly a fear came over me For the first time I feared the quiet, pleasant h ere traversing the main street of our town
”Ah,” said my father, ”it is pleasant to have a little exercise Give hiet across or we shall not There is no use being cautious”