two, three red jets, and all would be
over; she would be dead, and I should have had my revenge!"

"That is true, certainly, horribly true!" "And without any risk to me,
eh? An accident, that is all; bad luck, one of those mistakes which
happen every day in our business. What could they accuse me of? Whoever
would think of accusing me, even? Homicide through imprudence, that
would be all! They would even pity me, rather than accuse me. 'My wife!
My poor wife!' I should say, sobbing. 'My wife, who is so necessary to
me, who is half the bread-winner, who takes part in my performance!' You
must acknowledge that I should be pitied!"

"Certainly; there is not the least doubt about that." "And you must
allow that such a revenge would be a very nice revenge, the best
possible revenge, which I could have with assured impunity?" "Evidently
that is so." "Very well! But when I told her so, just as I have told
you, and better still; threatening her, as I was mad with rage, and
ready to do the deed that I had dreamt of, on the spot; what do you
think she said?" "That you were a good fellow, and would certainly not
have the atrocious courage to ..."

"Tut! tut! tut! I am not such a good fellow as you think. I am not
frightened of blood, and that I have proved already, though it would be
useless to tell you how and where. But I had no necessity to prove it to
her, for she knows that I am capable of a good many things; even of
crime; especially of a crime." "And she was not frightened?" "No. She
merely replied that I could not do what I said; you understand." "That I
could not do it!" "Why not?" "Ah! Monsieur, so you do not understand? Why
do you not? Have I not explained to you by what constant, long, daily
practice I have learnt to plant my knives without seeing what I am
doing?" "Yes, well, what then?" "Well! Cannot you understand what she
has understood with such terrible results, that now my hand would no
longer obey me, if I wished to make a mistake as I threw?" "Is it
possible?" "Nothing is truer, I am sorry to say. For I really have
wished to have my revenge, which I have dreamt of, and which I thought
so easy. Exasperated by that bad woman's insolence and confidence in her
own safety, I have several times made up my mind to kill her, and have
exerted all my energy and all my skill, to make my knives fly aside when
I threw them to make a border round her neck. I tried with all my might
to make them deviate half an inch, just