ow to deal with them by-and-by. Come, man, come!" he repeated
impatiently. And he turned towards the door and unlocked it.

Basterga moved reluctantly after him. "Ay, we go now," he said, with a
look full of menace. "But wait a while! Caesar Basterga does not forget,
and his turn will come! Where is my cap?"

He had let it fall on the floor, and he turned to pick it up, stooping
slowly and with difficulty as stout men do. As he raised himself, his
head still low, he butted it suddenly and with an activity for which no
one would have given him credit full into Claude's chest. The unlucky
young man, who had lowered his weapon the instant before, fell back with
a "sough" against the wall, and leant there, pale and breathless. Anne
uttered one scream, then the scholar's huge arm enfolded her neck and
drew her backwards against his breast.

"Up! up! Messer Blondel!" he cried. "Now is your chance! Up and surprise
her!" And with his disengaged hand he gripped Claude, for further
safety, by the collar. "Up; I will keep them quiet!"

The Syndic wasted a moment in astonishment, then he took in the
situation and the other's cleverness. Before Basterga had ceased to
speak, he was at the door of the staircase, and had dragged it open. But
as he set his foot on the lowest stair, Anne, held as she was against
Basterga's breast, and almost stifled by the arm which covered her
mouth, managed to clutch the Syndic by his skirts, and, once having
taken hold, held him with the strength of despair. In vain he struggled
and strove and wrestled to jerk himself free; in vain Basterga, hampered
by Claude, tried to drag the girl away--Blondel came away with her! She
clung to him, and even, freeing her mouth for a moment, succeeded in
uttering a scream.

"Curse her!" Basterga foamed: and had he had a hand to spare, he would
have struck her down. "Pull, man, have you no strength! Let go, you
vixen! Let go, or----"

He tried to press her throat, but in changing his hold allowed her to
utter a second scream, louder, more shrill, more full of passion than
the other. At the same instant a chair, knocked down by Blondel in his
efforts, fell with a crash, throwing down a pewter platter; and Claude,
white and breathless as he was, began to struggle, seeing his mistress
so handled. The four swayed to and fro. Another moment, and either the
Syndic must have jerked himself free, or the contest must have attained
to dimensions that could not escape the