Part 20 (1/2)

The lights in the house--the cafe seeh the shrubberies, and the murmur and clatter were plainly audible as the four arden along tortuous paths whichone

At last they came out on to a level piece of turf surrounded on all sides by high hedges, through which were h one of which they had co shadows thrown across the turf, and without absolutely obscuring the ht a duel by Baron Petrescu walked to one end of the lawn, and Ellerey to the other, leaving the two seconds together to ements Once convinced that his adversary conteain into his indifferent state, paying no attention to the choosing of the ground, taking no note of the light, nor considering how he e The Baron, on the other hand, was quick to observe exactly how the shadows fell, and to calculate every chance which ht help him

”We are ready, Captain Ellerey”

Without a word Ellerey threw off his cloak and coat, and taking his sword, weighed it in his hand, testing its poise and balance

”In case of accident is there anything you wish e of, any e to send? The affair has been so hurried that there has been no tie,” Ellerey answered ”Under the circu a friend in the world who cares a snap of his fingers whether I a or dead”

”Nor a woman?”

Ellerey hesitated for a ht be interested to learn that I was dead

Yes, if anything should happen, please tell her”

”But in England?”

”There is no one,” Ellerey answered

A cloud passed over the moon as the combatants faced each other, and not until it had passed was the signal given Then steel rang on steel with a ht No other sound was there save a rustling in the leaves now and again as though they tree or quickly parried thrust

Thethe swords into two streaks of flashi+ng light, and painting the hostly, and deathlike The Baron had a reputation as a swordsonist many tihtless eyes to thesky

It was therefore, perhaps, only natural that he should have contelishman with equanimity At the same time Ellerey's deterhthim more cautious than usual

Certainly his second, who had often seen hiht The well-known brilliancy of his attacks anting, and he could only suppose that the Englishined Whatever deliberation the Baron used, he at first pressed the fight far more than Ellerey, whose whole attention see himself He was less attractive to watch than the Baron, slower, it seemed, in his movements, and with less invention and resource, yet Petrescu appeared to gain no advantage

Every thrust he made was parried, if rather late sometimes, still parried, and he found that his adversary's wrist, if less flexible than his oas of iron He changed his tactics, he pressed the fight less and less, hoping to orously In a an to flash toward him with a persistency he had not expected, but there was no less caution Twice, thrice, the Baron used a feint and thrust which had seldo of many an adversary; but now they were met in the only manner it seemed that they could be met successfully At the third failure the Baron's coe He had met his match, a foeman worthy of his steel, as consummate a swordsman as himself; and if for a moment there was a sense of disappointment, it was quickly followed by one of keen satisfaction not unonist There was that in Baron Petrescu which he had received no credit for, even from his friends What contempt he had had for Ellerey disappeared, and a desire to win for the hts which had proer intent on killing his adversary

Now to verify his superiority and to prove it to this worthy foeman was his ambition, and it was in this spirit he pressed the contest with increased energy The night becaer eyes, watchful of his skill, and hushed in the silence a thousand voices seemed ready to proclaihts in Ellerey's rossly insulted him, had forced this quarrel upon him, and he meant to punish him if he could Whether he killed hihly taught hiht had eyes, and the air a feeling of movement in it, stealthy movement that walked on tiptoe and held its breath

The steel sang, now high, no, distinct sounds and continuous The breeze rustled the leaves then and again, but soht, now behind hies enclosed the lawn Once he heard it like the rustle of soain he heard it, less distinct perhaps but , as when a croaits spellbound

The Baron's attack grew fiercer again; twice he nearly broke through Ellerey's defence just when the sounds were audible in his ears The Baron'sof the sounds seeh there were a connection between theh they were parts of some whole Ellerey almost expected to read a solution of the littered in his pale, moonlit face But the solution was not in the Baron's eyes--it was behind hilanced over the Baron's shoulder to the thick-set hedge beyond, and in an alley there the ht fell for a erly The night was alive with eyes

”It is treachery, then, after all!” Ellerey burst out suddenly, and as he spoke he used the Baron's own particular feint and thrust, and his sword point ran swiftly and smoothly into soft flesh

With a low cry his adversary staggered back and fell, and in that ry cries and gesticulations froarden, some to this side, some to that, to surround the little party In an instant the seconds had drawn their swords and were beside Ellerey

”Back, you fools!” caer crowd did not heed, even if they heard, hi numbers

”On my oath, Captain Ellerey, this is no work of er to his feet, but falling to the ground again