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第39章

the cruise of the jasper b.-第39章

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side of the grave; the thought came to him bitterly。  For an

instant he wavered。



〃Agatha!〃 he said with dry lips。  〃I have already accepted the

fellow's challenge。〃



〃And what of that?〃 she cried。  〃Would you cling to a barren

point of honor in despite of love?〃



〃Even so;〃 he said; and sighed。



〃Oh; Clement;〃 she said; 〃I cannot bear it!  I cannot bear to

lose you!  I always knew you were in the world somewhereand now

that I have found you it is only to give you up!  It is too

much!〃



Cleggett was silent for a moment。  When he spoke it was slowly

and gently; but earnestly。



〃No point of honor is a barren one; dear;〃 he said。  〃What the

man lying there may be matters nothing。  It is not to him that I

have given my word; but to myself。  In our hurried modern life we

are not punctilious enough about these things。  Perhaps; in the

old days; the men and women were worse than we in many ways。  But

they held to a few traditions; or the best of them did; that make

the loose and tawdry manners of this age seem cheap indeed。  All

my life I have known that there was something shining and simple

and precious concealed from the common herd of men in this common

age; which the brighter spirits of the old days lived by and

served and worshiped。  I have always seen it plainly; and always

tried to live by it; too。  Perhaps it was never; in any period;

more than a dream; but I have dreamed that dream。  And anyone who

dreams that dream will have a reverence for his spoken word no

matter to whom it is passed。  I may be a fool to fight this man;

well then; that is the kind of fool I am!  Indeed; I know I am a

fool by the judgments of this age。  But I have never truly lived

in this age。  I have lived in the past; I have held to the dream;

I have believed in the bright adventure; I have walked with the

generous; chivalric spirits of the great ages; they have come to

me out of my books and dwelt with me and been my companions; and

the realities of time and place have been unreal in their

presence。 I see myself so walking always。  It may be that I am a

vain ass; but I cannot help it。  It may be that I am a little

mad; but I would rather be mad with a Don Quixote than sane with

an Andrew Carnegie and pile up platitudes and dollars。



〃And all this foolishness of mine is somehow bound up with the

thought that I have engaged to fight that evil fellow; and must

do it; all the bright; sane madness in me cries out that he is to

die by this hand of mine。



〃I have opened my heart to you; as I have never done to anyone

before。  And now I put myself into your hands。  But; oh; take

carefor it is something in me better than myself that I give

you to deal with!  And you can cripple it forever; because I love

you and I shall listen to you。  Shall I fight him?〃



She had listened; mute and immobile; and as he spoke the red sun

made a sudden glory of her hair。 She leaned towards him; and it

was as if the spirit of all the man's lifelong; foolish; romantic

musings were in her eyes and on her face。



〃Fight him!〃 she said。  〃And kill him!〃



And then her head was on his shoulder; and his arms were about

her。  〃Don't die!〃 she sobbed。 〃Don't die!〃



〃Don't fear;〃 he said; 〃I feel that I'll make short work of him。〃



She smiled courageously back at him; with her hands upon his

shoulders she held him back and looked at him with tilted head。



〃If you are killed;〃 she said; 〃it will have been more than most

women ever get; to have known and loved you for two days。〃



〃Two days?〃 he said。  〃Forever!〃



〃Forever!〃 she said。





CHAPTER XXIV



THE DUEL



Cleggett took Wilton Barnstable by the  sleeve and drew him

towards Loge; who; still seated on the deck with his long legs

stretched out in front of him; was now yawning with a cynical

affectation of boredom。



〃I wish you to act as my second in this affair;〃 said Cleggett to

the detective; 〃and I suggest that either Mr。 Ward or Mr。 Bard

perform a like office for Mr。 Black。〃



Loge shrugged his shoulders; and said with a sneer:



〃A second; eh?  We seem to be doing a great deal of arranging for

a very small amount of fighting。〃



〃I suggest;〃 said Wilton Barnstable; 〃that a night's rest would

be quite in order for both principals。〃



Loge broke in quickly; with studied insolence: 〃I object to the

delay。  Mr。 Cleggett might find some excuse for changing his mind

overnight。  Let us; if you please; begin at once。〃



〃It was not I who suggested the delay;〃 said Cleggett; haughtily。



〃Then give us the pistols;〃 cried Loge; with a sudden; grim

ferocity in his voice; 〃and let's make an end of it!〃



〃We fight with swords;〃 said Cleggett。  〃I am the challenged

party。〃



〃Ho!  Swords!〃 cried Loge; with a harsh; jarring laugh。  〃A bout

with the rapiers; man to man; eh?  Come; this is better and

better!  I may go to the chair; but first I will spit you like a

squab on a skewer; my little nut!〃  And then he said again; with

a shout of gusty mirth; and a clanking of his manacles:  〃Swords;

eh?  By God!  The little man says SWORDS!〃



Wilton Barnstable drew Cleggett to one side。



〃Name pistols;〃 he said。  〃For God's sake; Cleggett; name

pistols!  If I had had any idea that you were going to demand

rapiers I should have warned you before。〃



Cleggett was amused at the great detective's anxiety。  〃It

appears that the fellow handles the rapier pretty well; eh?〃 he

said easily。



〃Cleggett〃 began Barnstable。  And then he paused and groaned

and mopped his brow。  Presently he controlled his agitation and

continued。 〃Cleggett;〃 he said; 〃the man is an expert swordsman。 

I have been on his trail; I know his life for years past。  He was

once a maitre d'armes。  He gave lessons in the art。〃



〃Yes?〃 said Cleggett; laughing and flexing his wrist。  〃I am glad

to hear that!  It will be really interesting then。〃



〃Cleggett;〃 said Barnstable; 〃I beg of youname pistols。  This

is the man who invented that diabolical thrust with which Georges

Clemenceau laid low so many of his political opponents。  If you

must go on with this mad duel; name pistols!〃



〃Barnstable;〃 said Cleggett; 〃I know what I am about; believe me。 

Your anxiety does me little honor; but I am willing to suppose

that you are not deliberately insulting; and I pass it over。  I

intend to kill this man。  It is a duty which I owe to society。 

And as for the rapierbelieve me; Barnstable; I am no novice。 

And my blood tingles and my soul aches with the desire to expunge

that man from life with my own hand。  Come; we have talked

enough。  There is a case of swords in the cabin。  Will you do me

the favor to bring them on deck?〃



Loge's irons were unlocked。  He rose to his feet and stretched

himself。  He removed his coat and waistcoat。  Then he took off

his shirt; revealing the fact that he wore next his skin a

long…sleeved undershirt of red flannel。



Cleggett began to imitate him。  But as the commander of the

Jasper B。 began to pull his shirt over his head he heard a little

scream。  Everyone turned in the direction from which it had

emanated。  They beheld Miss Genevieve Pringle perched upon the

top of the cabin; whither she had mounted by means of a short

ladder。  This lady; perhaps not quite aware of the possibly

sanguinary character of the spectacle she was about to witness;

had; nevertheless; sensed the fact that a spectacle was toward。

Miss Pringle had with her a handsome lorgnette。



〃Madam;〃 said Cleggett; hastily pulling his shirt back on again

and approaching the cabin; 〃did you cry out?〃



〃Mr。erCleggett;〃 said Miss Pringle; pursing her lips; 〃if you

will kindly hold the ladder for me I think I will descend and

retire at once to the cabin。〃



〃As you wish;〃 said Cleggett politely; complying with her wish;

but at a loss to comprehend her。



〃I beg you to believe; Mr。 Cleggett;〃 said Miss Pringle; av

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