seemed to say. He knew the game too well not to
recognise and accept its chances. But Guillaume was silent.

"The hurt to your head is not serious or painful, I hope?" Dieppe
inquired politely. Still Guillaume maintained a grim and ominous
silence. The Captain tried again. "I trust, my dear friend," said he
persuasively, "that your weapon is intended for strictly defensive
purposes?" The candle had burnt almost down to the block on which it
rested (the fact did not escape Dieppe), but it served to show
Guillaume's acid smile. "What quarrel have we?" pursued the Captain,
in a conciliatory tone. "I 've actually been engaged on your business,
and got confoundedly wet over it too."

"You 've been across the river then?" asked Guillaume, breaking his
silence.

"It 's not my fault--the river was in my way," Dieppe answered a little
impatiently. "As for you, why do you listen to my conversation?"

"With the Countess of Fieramondi? Ah, you soldiers! You were a little
indiscreet there, my good Captain. But that's not my business."

"Your remark is very just," agreed Dieppe. "I 'll give that candle
just a quarter of an hour," he was thinking.

"Except so far as I may be able to turn it to my purposes. Come, we
know one another, Captain Dieppe."

"We have certainly met in the course of business," the Captain conceded
with a touch of hauteur, as he shifted the truss a little further under
his right shoulder.

"I want something that you have," said Guillaume, fixing his eyes on
his companion. Dieppe's were on the candle. "Listen to me," commanded
Guillaume, imperiously.

"I have really no alternative," shrugged the Captain. "But don't make
impossible propositions. And be brief. It 's late; I 'm hungry, cold,
and wet."

Guillaume smiled contemptuously at this useless bravado, for such it
seemed to him. It did not occur to his mind that Dieppe had anything
to gain--or even a bare chance of gaining anything--by protracting the
conversation. But in fact the Captain was making observations--first
of the candle, secondly of the number and position of the trusses of
straw.

"Are you in a position to call any proposition impossible?" Guillaume
asked.

"It's quite true that I can't make use of my revolver," agreed the
Captain. "But on the other hand you don't, I presume, intend to murder
me? Would n't that be exceeding your instructions!"

"I don't know as to that--I might be forgiven. But of course