e fair's festivity. The landlord was kept busy
enough attending to those passers-by in the early part of the day, and,
now that the stream had ceased and custom slackened, he was glad enough
to take his ease in-doors and leave his garden to its loneliness.

When, therefore, Lagardere and AEsop entered the garden they found it as
quiet and as uninhabited as any pair of swordsmen could desire. They
walked in silence along the path between the flowers and the vegetables,
Lagardere only pausing for a moment to pluck a wild rose which he
proposed in the serenity of his confidence to present to Gabrielle, and
while he paused AEsop eyed him maliciously and amused himself by kicking
with his heel at a turnip and hacking it into fragments. Lagardere put
his flower into the lapel of his coat, and the pair resumed their silent
progress through the orchard till they came to a halt upon the
river-bank.

Lagardere looked about him and seemed pleased with what he saw. There was
no one in sight, either hard by or upon the opposite bank of the river,
and he felt that it might be taken for granted that there was no one
within hearing. He turned to AEsop and addressed him, very pleasantly:
"This, I think, will serve our purpose as well as any place in the
world."

AEsop grinned malignly. "It would suit my purpose," he said, "to get you
out of the way in any place in the world."

Lagardere laughed softly and shook his head. "One or other of us has to
be got out of the way," he said, quietly, "but I think, Master AEsop, that
I am not the man. I have been waiting a long time for this chance; but I
always felt sure that the time would bring the chance, and I mean to make
an end of you."

AEsop scowled. "You talk very big, Little Parisian," he said, "but you
will find that in me you deal with a fellow of another temper to those
poor hirelings you have been lucky enough to kill. They were common
rogues enough, that handled their swords like broom-handles. I was always
a master, and my skill has grown more perfect since we last met at
Caylus. I think you will regret this meeting, Captain Lagardere."

Now, Lagardere had been listening very patiently while AEsop spoke, and
while he listened a thought came into his mind which at first seemed too
fantastic for consideration, but which grew more tempting and more
entertainable with every second. To thrust AEsop from his path was one
thing, and a thing that must be done if Lagardere's life-purpo