feint and lunge and circle of the complicated attack as he made it. With
the last word of his steel-illuminated lecture his sword, that had
illustrated the words of the fencer, seemed suddenly to leap forward, a
glittering streak of light.

AEsop leaped back with a yell, and clapped his left hand to his forehead.
"Damnation!" he cried.

Cocardasse, who had been following the proceedings with the keenest
attention, hurried out of the circle of spectators. "Splendid!" he cried.
"What is the parry?"

"It is as clear as day," Lagardere answered. "This is how the trick is
done," and again, as he spoke, his blade explained his text, gleaming and
twisting in the cunning evolutions of the riposte.

Cocardasse, who had drawn his own sword, repeated Lagardere's words and
parodied Lagardere's gestures faithfully. "I see," he said, and turned to
the others, who had lost nothing of the lesson. "Have you caught it,
boys? It might serve--"

Lagardere interrupted him, indifferent to the evil appreciation on the
faces of the spectators. "It will serve at once. I am going to try it on
its master."

"On Nevers?" queried Staupitz, hoarsely.

Lagardere nodded. "On no less a man. I should have told you that I
plagued him until he promised me my revenge. When I was exiled I wrote to
remind him." Lagardere drew a letter from his breast and held it up for a
moment before returning it to its lodging. "In this letter he accepts my
challenge, names the time, the place--"

Cocardasse interrupted: "What time?"

"To-night at ten," Lagardere replied.

"The place?" asked Passepoil.

"The moat of Caylus," Lagardere answered. He pointed to the window at
which AEsop had been sitting so long. "You can see it from that window."

There was a general look of astonishment on the faces of all the bravos.
Passepoil, quick with his Norman caution, glanced at Staupitz and the
group about him, and put his finger cautiously to his lips.

Cocardasse was still inquisitive. "Why there?" he questioned.

Lagardere explained, amiably: "Because such is the good duke's pleasure.
When I sent him my cartel I made it plain that I had little time on my
hands, as I was anxious, on account of the king's fire-new zeal against
duelling, to cross the frontier as speedily as might be. I knew the duke
was staying on his estates near by, and I suggested, with a fine show of
gravity, that possibly his highness was acquainted with some quiet place
in the neighborhood of