ended;
but I gave him his chance.

"Get up, and take your sword!"

Trotto rose, his face white, his lips bleeding, and snatching his sword
from its sheath thrust at me, with a strange smile on his face. He had
lied when he said Piero was gone. All unknown to me Piero had
remained, and opening the door stood at my back, his knife in his hand.
I saw not the death behind me, and stiff as I was from my wound my
attention was fully taken up by Trotto, who was no mean artist, and
fought like a cat at bay. But Pierrebon saw, and raised his arquebus.
The bravo behind me was about to strike, when there was a flash, a loud
report, and he rolled over a huge, limp, and lifeless mass. At the
shot Trotto had sprung back with a gasp to the corner of the room, and
crouched there like a rat, staring through the smoke at us, for
Pierrebon had run to my side.

"Keep the door, Pierrebon," I said, and I stepped forward; but the
Italian was done.

"I yield," he said; "I have lost." And he lowered his sword; but
between us there could be no parley.

"Put up your sword--put it up, or I run you through as you are!"

And because there was no help for it, save to fight, Trotto did so, but
his hand shook, and his courage was gone. He made a little show of
resistance; but it was nothing, and at the third or fourth pass he
thrust too high. He was late in the recovery, and I ran him through
the side.

"Jesus!" he screamed, "I am dead!"

Then he fell forward on his face, his fingers working convulsively.

"He is dead too!" said Pierrebon as he stooped over the body.

"Not yet," I said, and then for the first time I saw the huge figure of
Piero lying stark, the knife still in his clutch, and I saw too what I
owed Pierrebon, and wrung the honest fellow's hand.

"Come!" I said. "Now for mademoiselle, and we shall be off. There are
others who will attend to these."

"A moment, monsieur! The arquebus is not loaded, and this, perhaps,
will be more useful." So saying Pierrebon stooped and picked up
Trotto's sword. As he did so he noticed the keys at the Italian's
girdle.

"And this too," he added, as with a touch of the sharp sword he cut the
light leather strap, and taking the keys followed me out into the
gallery.

CHAPTER X

THE BITER BITTEN

When Torquato Trotto lifted the candle to guide mademoiselle and La
Marmotte from the supper-room he was confident in the success of his
plan, and already heard the jingle of