“I’ll turn you into a dove of peace between the two nations,” said Roland, rising.
“Oh! thank you,” cried Sir john, seizing the young man’s hand. Then he added, regretfully, “Must you leave me?”
“My friend, I have only a few hours’ leave. I have given one to my mother, two to you, and I owe one to your friend Edouard. I want to kiss him and ask his masters to let him scuffle as he likes with his comrades. Then I must get back to the Luxembourg.”
“Well, take him my compliments, and tell him I have ordered another pair of pistols for him, so that the next time he is attacked by bandits he needn’t use the conductor’s.”
Roland looked at Sir John.
“Now, what is it?” he asked.
“What! Don’t you know?”
“No. What is it I don’t know?”
“Something that nearly killed our poor Amélie?”
“What thing?”