y
towards the tree.

"One--two--three--four--five," she counted, and paused. "Englishman,
this fellow has killed your friend, and you claim yourself worthy to
be King of Corsica. Prove it."

"Excuse me, Princess," said I, "but before that I have some other
things to prove, of which some are easy and others may be hard and
tedious."

"Seven--eight--nine." With no answer, but a curl of the lip, she
resumed her counting.

"Marc'antonio!" I called--he had almost reached the tree.
"Come here!"

He faced about, his eyes starting, his cheeks blanched. As he drew
nearer I saw that his forehead shone with sweat.

"I have a word for you," I said slowly. "In the first place an
Englishman does not shoot his game sitting; it is against the rules.
Secondly, he is by no means necessarily a fool, but, if it came to
shooting against two, he might have sense enough to get his first
shot upon the one who held the musket--a point which your mistress
overlooked perhaps." I bowed to her gravely. "And thirdly," I went
on, hardening my voice, "I have to tell you, Ser Marc'antonio, that
this friend of mine, whom you have killed, was not trying to escape
you, but running to seek help for the Princess."

Marc'antonio checked an exclamation. He glanced at the girl, and she
at him suspiciously, with a deepening frown.

"Help?" she echoed, turning the frown upon me, "What help, sir,
should I need?"

It was my turn now to shrug the shoulders. "Nay," I answered,
"I tell you but what he told me. He divined, or at least he was
persuaded, that you stood in need of help."

She threw a puzzled, questioning look at the poor corpse, but lifted
her eyes to find mine fixed upon them, and shrank a little as I
stepped close. Her two hands went behind her, swiftly. I may have
made a motion to grip her by the wrists; I cannot tell. My next
words surprised myself, and the tone of my voice speaking and the
passion in it.

"You have killed my friend," said I, "who desired only your good.
You have chosen to humiliate me, who willed you no harm. And now you
say 'it shall be vendetta.' Very well, it shall be vendetta, but as
_I_ choose it. Keep your foolish weapons; I can do without them.
Heap what insults you will upon me; I am a man and will bear them.
But you are a woman, and therefore to be mastered. For my friend's
sake I choose to hate you and to be patient. For my friend's sake,
who discovered your need, I too will discover it an