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fman as he spoke and entered the room, where he immediately busied himself in the examination of some of the weapons displayed there, and apparently ignoring Halfman's existence. Halfman watched him with a scowl for a moment and then followed him into the room. "Your honor," he said--"since you will not be called worship--your honor really has a use for these toys of gentlefolk?" Evander had taken a handsome Italian rapier from its case against the wall, and, after glancing at its blade, was weighing and testing the weapon in the air. As he gave Halfman no answer, the latter took up the talk again, provocatively: "I cannot deny that your honor showed fight briskly enough yester evening, but then it seemed little less than fight or die, and even a rat, if you corner him, will snap for dear life. Moreover, you were well ambushed, and there was a gentle lady present who would not see a rat butchered unnecessarily." Evander, still weighing the fine Italian blade, turned to Halfman and addressed him with an exasperating composure. "Friend," he said, "I have told you that I am not unacquainted with arms. When I am a free man I enforce belief in my word. As it is--" He left his sentence uncompleted, and with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders proceeded on his journey round the room, still carrying the Italian rapier in his hand. Under his tan Halfman's face blazed and his eyes glittered, but he spoke with a forced calm and a feigned civility: "Say you so much? Why, I believe your honor, surely. Yet, as they say, seeing is believing, and if you are in the vein for a gentle and joyous passage with buttoned arms, I that am here to entertain your honor would not for the world's width gainsay you." Evander eyed him quietly. "Are you ready at fence?" he inquired. "I shall be pleased to take a lesson from you." Halfman's heart warmed at his words. "The coney creeps towards the gin," he thought, exultantly; then he answered, aloud: "Why, if you have a stomach for it you shall not be crossed. Here be two buttoned rapiers, true twins--length, weight, workmanship. I will beleather them in a twink. I promise you I would not hurt your honor." "You are very good," Evander answered, gravely. Halfman was already busy tying two large pads of leather the size of small oranges onto the buttoned blades. While he was at work Evander occupied himself with the contents of the room until Halfman, having finished his job,
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