not escape."

"That is true."

"That your life is in my hands."

"That is also true."

"But that, which must be a very great consideration, my lord, is that,
in attempting to escape, or in refusing to obey the orders which I bear,
you put me to the hard necessity of killing you."

"A hard necessity for both of us, sir."

"Then your grace will give strict attention to what I have to say," said
the colonel, emphasizing the following words: "I can with the more
impunity kill you, my lord, because _you are already dead_--and
therefore it would not be necessary to render an account for shedding
your blood."

The chevalier looked at Rutler with a stupefied air, thinking he must
have heard him wrong. "You say, sir, that you could with the more
impunity kill me?"

"Since your grace is already dead," said Rutler, with a sinister smile.

Croustillac looked at him more closely, believing he was dealing with a
madman; then he said, after a moment's silence, "If I understand you
aright, sir, you wish to make me believe that you could kill me with
impunity, under the pretext, specious enough, that I am already dead!"

"Exactly, my lord; that is very simple."

"You think that very simple, sir?"

"I do not think you wish to deny, my lord, what is known to all the
world," said Rutler impatiently.

"It seems to me that, without wishing to pass for a man who has lost his
head, and who is dominated with a desire to contradict the whole world,
I must still to a certain extent deny that I am dead."

"I would not have believed, my lord, that you could jest at such a
moment, you who always carry with you such frightful memories," said the
colonel, with gloomy surprise.

"Certainly, sir, at such a moment one cannot forget himself. That which
is more difficult is to retain memory," said Croustillac, smiling.

The colonel could not prevent a gesture of indignation, and cried, "You
smile! when it is at the price of the noblest blood that you are here!
Ah, such then will always be the gratitude of princes!"

"I must say to you, sir," impatiently replied Croustillac, "that it is
not of gratitude or ingratitude that we speak in this matter, and
that--but," he continued, fearing to make some blunder, "but it seems to
me that we wander strangely from the question at issue. I prefer to
speak of something else."

"I can imagine that such a subject would be disagreeable to your grace."

"It is not a lively one, sir, certainly; but