aced him with the butt. "Spare you!" I cried, "you beast!"

His voice died in his fat inwards, but his lips still vehemently framed
the same words of supplication. My anger began to pass off, but not all
my repugnance; the picture he made revolted me, and I was impatient to
be spared the further view of it.

"Here," said I, "stop this performance: it sickens me. I am not going to
kill you, do you hear? I have need of you."

A look of relief, that I could almost have called beautiful, dawned on
his countenance. "Anything--anything you wish," said he.

Anything is a big word, and his use of it brought me for a moment to a
stand. "Why, what do you mean?" I asked. "Do you mean that you will blow
the gaff on the whole business?"

He answered me "Yes" with eager asseverations.

"I know Monsieur de Saint-Yves is in it; it was through his papers we
traced you," I said. "Do you consent to make a clean breast of the
others?"

"I do--I will!" he cried. "The 'ole crew of 'em; there's good names
among 'em. I'll be King's evidence."

"So that all shall hang except yourself? You damned villain!" I broke
out. "Understand at once that I am no spy or thief-taker. I am a kinsman
of Monsieur de Saint-Yves--here in his interest. Upon my word, you have
put your foot in it prettily, Mr. Burchell Fenn! Come, stand up; don't
grovel there! Stand up, you lump of iniquity!"

He scrambled to his feet. He was utterly unmanned, or it might have gone
hard with me yet; and I considered him hesitating, as, indeed, there was
cause. The man was a double-dyed traitor: he had tried to murder me, and
I had first baffled his endeavours and then exposed and insulted him.
Was it wise to place myself any longer at his mercy? With his help I
should doubtless travel more quickly; doubtless also far less agreeably;
and there was everything to show that it would be at a greater risk. In
short, I should have washed my hands of him on the spot, but for the
temptation of the French officers, whom I knew to be so near, and for
whose society I felt so great and natural an impatience. If I was to see
anything of my countrymen, it was clear I had first of all to make my
peace with Mr. Fenn; and that was no easy matter. To make friends with
any one implies concessions on both sides; and what could I concede?
What could I say of him, but that he had proved himself a villain and a
fool, and the worse man?

"Well," said I, "here has been rather a poor piece of busin