"
"Here," I said, and led the way down the passage. Maurice and Jules,
with their prisoner, pressed after us, and half a dozen of the duke's
guard after them. The rest stayed without to mind the horses and keep
off the gathering crowd.
One of the men had a torch which lighted the red pavement. Vigo saw this
first.
"Morbleu! is it a shambles?"
"That is wine," I said.
"They spilled wine for effect, they spilled so little blood!" Thus
Lucas, speaking with as cool devilry as if he still commanded the
situation. Vigo could not know what he meant but he asked no questions;
instead, bade Lucas hold his tongue.
"I am dumb," Lucas rejoined, with a mock meekness more insolent than
insolence. But we paid it no heed for M. le Comte came forward out of
the shadows. He held his head well up but his face was white above his
crimsoned doublet.
"M. Etienne! Are you hurt?" shouted Vigo.
"No, but he is." M. le Comte stepped aside to show us Grammont leaning
against the wall.
"Ah!" cried Vigo, triumphantly. He and two of the men rushed at Gervais.
"You would not take me so easily but for a cursed knife in my back,"
Grammont muttered thickly. "For the love of Heaven, Vigo, draw it out."
With amazement Vigo perceived the knife.
"Who did it?"
"I."
"You, Felix? In the back?" Vigo looked at me as if to demand again which
side I was on.
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