ptor's great hands twitch convulsively at this, but still the
Vidame mastered himself, and when he spoke again he spoke slowly.
"Very well," he continued, taking no heed of us, the silent witnesses
of this strange struggle between the two men, but eyeing Louis only.
"You have wronged me more than any man alive. Alive or dead! or dead!
You have thwarted me, M. de Pavannes, and taken from me the woman I
loved. Six days ago I might have killed you. I had it in my power. I
had but to leave you to the rabble, remember, and you would have been
rotting at Montfaucon to-day, M. de Pavannes."

"That is true," said Louis quietly. "Why so many words?"

But the Vidame went on as if he had not heard. "I did not leave you to
them," he resumed, "and yet I hate you--more than I ever hated any man
yet, and I am not apt to forgive. But now the time has come, sir, for
my revenge! The oath I swore to your mistress a fortnight ago I will
keep to the letter. I--Silence, babe!" he thundered, turning suddenly,
"or I will keep my word with you too!"

Croisette had muttered something, and this had drawn on him the glare
of Bezers' eyes. But the threat was effectual. Croisette was silent.
The two were left henceforth to one another.

Yet the Vidame seemed to be put out by the interruption. Muttering a
string of oaths he strode from us to the window and back again. The
cool cynicism, with which he was wont to veil his anger and impose on
other men, while it heightened the effect of his ruthless deeds, in
part fell from him. He showed himself as he was--masterful, and
violent, hating, with all the strength of a turbulent nature which had
never known a check. I quailed before him myself. I confess it.

"Listen!" he continued harshly, coming back and taking his place in
front of us at last, his manner more violent than before the
interruption. "I might have left you to die in that hell yonder! And I
did not leave you. I had but to hold my hand and you would have been
torn to pieces! The wolf, however, does not hunt with the rats, and a
Bezers wants no help in his vengeance from king or CANAILLE! When I
hunt my enemy down I will hunt him alone, do you hear? And as there is
a heaven above me"--he paused a moment--"if I ever meet you face to
face again, M. de Pavannes, I will kill you where you stand!"

He paused, and the murmur of the crowd without came to my ears; but
mingled with and heightened by some confusion in my thoug