ldly knowledge which you say you have before, from
time to time, given me credit for, belongs to me still, and I am not
likely easily to commit myself."

"Indeed; do you think you bear such a charmed life that nothing can
shake it?"

"I think nothing of the sort; but I know what I can do--I am armed."

"And I; and since it comes to this, take the reward of your villany; for
it was you who made me what I am, and would now seek to destroy my every
hope of satisfaction."

As the baron spoke he drew from his breast a small pistol, which, with
the quickness of thought, he held full in the face of his companion, and
pulled the trigger.

There can be no doubt on earth that his intention was to commit the
murder, but the pistol missed fire, and he was defeated in his intention
at that moment. Then the stranger laughed scornfully, and drawing a
pistol from his pocket, he presented it at the baron's head, saying,--

"Do I not bear a charmed life? If I had not, should I have escaped death
from you now? No, I could not; but you perceive that even a weapon that
might not fail you upon another occasion is harmless against me; and can
you expect that I will hesitate now to take full and ample revenge upon
you for this dastardly attempt?"

These words were spoken with great volubility, so much so, indeed, that
they only occupied a few very brief seconds in delivering; and then,
perhaps, the baron's career might have ended, for it seemed to be fully
the intention of the other to conclude what he said by firing the pistol
in his face; but the wily aspect of the baron's countenance was, after
all, but a fair index of the mind, and, just as the last words passed
the lips of his irritated companion, he suddenly dropped in a crouching
position to the ground, and, seizing his legs, threw him over his head
in an instant.

The pistol was discharged, at the same moment, and then, with a shout of
rage and satisfaction, the baron sprang upon his foe, and, kneeling upon
his breast, he held aloft in his hand a glittering dagger, the
highly-polished blade of which caught the moonbeams, and reflected them
into the dazzled eyes of the conquered man, whose fate now appeared to
be certain.

"Fool!" said the baron, "you must needs, then, try conclusions with me,
and, not content with the safety of insignificance, you must be absurd
enough to think it possible you could extort from me whatever sums your
fancy dictated, or with any effect threate