He gasped still.
As they drew near the town, Tinker grew thoughtful. Suddenly he
stopped, and said seriously, "Now, look here, both of you, we mustn't
let my father know about this, or he'll certainly thrash that bounding
Frenchman; and that wouldn't be good enough, don't you know."
"It would be very good for him," said Dorothy with some vindictiveness.
"Yes, but not for my father," said Tinker very earnestly, indeed. "For
all that he looks like a swollen frog, Le Comte de Puy-de-Dome is
awfully dangerous with the pistol. He's hurt two men badly in duels
already."
"Has he?" said Dorothy quickly, and the colour faded in her cheeks.
"Then we must, indeed, say nothing about it."
"Swear," said Tinker, raising his right hand.
"We swear," said Dorothy and Elsie in one voice, raising their right
hands. It was a formality which had to be gone through many times when
they played at being conspirators; their words and action were
mechanical.
"That's all right," said Tinker with a sigh of relief.
Count Sigismond returned to his hotel in a very hot fury. His outraged
pride clamoured for vengeance, and he sought for someone on whom to be
revenged. He was surprised at the end of two days to hear nothing of
his discomfiture; but his fury lost nothing by growing cool, and on the
third night he picked a quarrel with Sir Tancred.
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