."

AEsop looked about him. "I have but to raise my voice. There must be
people within call even in this sleepy neighborhood."

Lagardere still smiled, and the smile was still provocative. "But if you
raise your voice I shall be reluctantly compelled to stab you where you
stand. Ah, coward, can you only fight in the dark when you are nine to
one?"

AEsop gave his hilt a hitch. "You will serve my master's turn as well dead
as alive. I wear the best sword in the world, and it longs for your
life."

Lagardere pointed to the tranquil little Inn. "Behind yonder Inn there is
a garden. To-day, when all the world is at the fair, that garden is as
lonely as a cemetery. At the foot of the garden runs the river, a ready
grave for the one who falls. There we can fight in quiet to our heart's
content."

AEsop glared at Lagardere with a look of triumphant hatred. "I mean to
kill you, Lagardere!" he said, and the tone of his voice was surety of
his intention and his belief in his power to carry it out.

Lagardere only laughed as lightly as before. "I mean to kill you, Master
AEsop. I have waited a long time for the pleasure of seeing you again."

Then the pair passed into the quiet Inn and out of the quiet Inn into the
quiet Inn's quiet garden, and down the quiet garden to a quiet space hard
by the quiet river.

XVII

IN THE GARDEN

Beyond the Inn there ran, or rather rambled, a long garden, the more
neglected part of which was grown with flowers, while the better-attended
portion was devoted to the cultivation of vegetables. Where the garden
ceased a little orchard of apple-trees, pear-trees, and plum-trees began,
and this orchard was followed by a small open space of grassed land which
joined the river. Here a diminutive landing-stage had been built, which
was now crazy enough with age and dilapidation, and attached to this
stage were a couple of ancient rowing-boats, against whose gaunt ribs the
ripples lapped. Sometimes this garden and orchard had their visitors: the
landlord and his friends would often smoke their pipes and drink their
wine under the shade of the trees, and even passing clients would
occasionally indulge themselves with the privilege of a stroll in the
untidy garden. But to-day the place was quite deserted--as desolate as a
garden in a dream. Every one who could go had gone to the fair, and those
travellers who paused to drink in passing took their liquor quickly and
hurried on to share in th