Part 9 (1/2)
”Then, Monsieur, pray relieve my natural curiosity, and tell me why I am thus honored by your presence?”
”To aid your escape fro That is, provided you rouse up froy, and bear your part as becomes a man”
I spoke with heat, for his indifference irritated htest i of the shoulders, while he crossed his legssome fresh tobacco, before he took trouble to reply
”You are evidently of a choleric telish!+” he exclaireatly to practise better control over yourself, as such weakness is apt to lead one into just such scrapes as this of ours _Sacre_! it hath beenalso, otherould I now be a fat Major of the Line instead of a poor devil condemned to the volley, for no worse crime than an over-hot head But seriously, Monsieur, and I arave disposition, it is not so easy to accoine you I have lain here, under tender Spanish care, all these weeks, where, as I do lass of decent wine has found way down my throat, nor have I possessed a bit of poement of my locks--which will account for their present dishevelment--Saint Cecilia! but that hed at me when I did request a coh all this without calculating chances for escape? But, _pardieu_! what use? A man of sense will not dream such fool dreams This I know, there are three sentries yonder in the passageway, a good dozen uard-roo the deck above What use, I say, for did not poor Villere try it, and, before he had covered twenty feet, had three bullets in his brain? Nay, Master Benteen, to endeavor running such a gantlet would only give me my fill of Spanish lead before the hour set, which, they tell uidly to his feet, paused aabout, extended a white hand towardpleasantly as he did so
”Faith, I fear I shall not look my best when it is all over, but if so it will be the fault of the Dons--they seem most careless as to requirerateful, and I thank you heartily, Monsieur But if it be my turn to die, and I doubt it not,--for who ever heard of mercy in the black heart of a Spaniard?--then it is best I front it as becoentleh I fled froood friend, if death is to beit with a s, worthy of nified manliness in his speech and manner which for theof his character
There love of this fair courtier
”Do you mean you deliberately choose to remain here, rather than accept the chance I offer you?”
”Sacre! I have as yet heard of no chance,” he replied easily, sinking indolently back into his old seat against the wall ”I shall be fairly coh I rade of tobacco than this furnished me”
For the moment I was in despair as to the outcome of my mission, nor did I accept the proffered hand of the prisoner Here was a totally different order of man from what had ever come my way before, nor did I kno best to meet him How much of his vain and reckless speech came from the heart, and how much of it was merely a mask hich to test arding ly sat coolly down upon the chest, deterame with him to the bitter end
”Quite true, Chevalier,” I said, s pleasantly, as if I entered fully into his reckless spirit ”Doubtless you are right--needs must when the devil drives Could you spare me a morsel of that same tobacco, until I test the quality of which you complain?” I produced a pipe fro the ashes out carelessly against the chest
He passed over his pouch in silence
”When one resteth between His Satanic Majesty and the deep sea it makes small odds at the best which direction he turns It becoly as I deliberately rae into the bowl, ”must be about the same to one man as to another, except for matter of tempera, so can I”
”Do you mean you are sufficiently crazy to reed your devoted wife I would rescue you, or never return alive myself As you stubbornly refuse to listen to reason, this seeht differ as to which was crazed, but as to that ill probably neither of us ever know May I trouble you for a light?”
I leaned forward, coolly helping ly between his fingers, and, puffing vigorously, silently resumed my seat
”My wife, say you?” A fresh interest appeared to sweep over hi his indifference ”Did Eloise de Noyan send you here seeking to succor me?”
”It was at her request I came; at her wish I stay,” I answered firmly
”You knew her?”
”Several years since, when she was scarcely irl; yet she retained sufficient faith to call uponat me as if he would like to question further
”The Lord love us, you are a cool fish,” he finally exclai with fresh animation in his soft voice ”What is more, I rather like you So Eloise really wishes me to desert the Dons? Queer choice that, for she would make a lovelyOh, well, what's the odds? 'Tis only the question of a ball in the back to-night, or a ball in the front to-morrow If you chance to have a tuck ready for my hand, friend, I 'll try a dash at the deck just for the sport of it”
I shook e without flashi+ng of weapons, or not at all I grant a quick stroke ht win us the open, yet would only serve to rouse the shi+p; neither of us would ever lift head above the river surface without a bullet in the brain”