dy.

"Will you not strip?" he inquired sullenly.

"I do not think so," I answered. "The night air is sharp. Nevertheless,
do you make ready as best you deem fit, and that speedily, Monsieur."

With an exclamation of contempt, he divested himself of his wig, mask,
and doublet, then drawing his sword, he came forward, and announced
himself at my disposal.

As well you may conceive, we wasted no time in compliments, but
straightway went to work, and that with a zest that drew sparks from our
rapiers at the first contact.

The Marquis attacked me furiously, and therein lay his only chance; for
a fierce, rude sword-play that is easily dealt with in broad daylight
is vastly discomposing in such pale moonshine as lighted us. I defended
myself warily, for of a sudden I had grown conscious of the danger that
I ran did he once by luck or strength get past my guard with that point
of his which in the spare light I could not follow closely enough to
feel secure.

'Neath the fury of his onslaught I was compelled to break ground more
than once, and each time he was so swift to follow up his advantage that
I had ne'er a chance to retaliate.

Still fear or doubt of the issue I had none. I needed but to wait until
the Marquis's fury was spent by want of breath, to make an end of it.
And presently that which I waited for came about. His attack began to
lag in vigour, and the pressure of his blade to need less resistance,
whilst his breathing grew noisy as that of a broken-winded horse. Then
with the rage of a gambler who loses at every throw, he cursed and
reviled me with every thrust or lunge that I turned aside.

My turn was come; yet I held back, and let him spend his strength to the
utmost drop, whilst with my elbow close against my side and by an easy
play of wrist, I diverted each murderous stroke of his point that came
again and again for my heart.

When at last he had wasted in blasphemies what little breath his wild
exertions had left him, I let him feel on his blade the twist that
heralded my first riposte. He caught the thrust, and retreated a
step, his blasphemous tongue silenced, and his livid face bathed in
perspiration.

Cruelly I toyed with him then, and with every disengagement I made him
realise that he was mastered, and that if I withheld the coup de grace
it was but to prolong his agony. And to add to the bitterness of that
agony of his, I derided him whilst I fenced; with a recitation of his
many sins I