“The assassin! No, the avenger.”
“It is the same thing, I fancy.”
“To the rest of the world, perhaps—not in Corsica.”
“And is the dagger authentic?”
“Look for yourself. It carries the arms of Sampietro—only the fleur-de-lis of France is missing. You know that Sampietro was not authorized to wear the lily until after the siege of Perpignan.”
“No, I was not aware of that fact. And how did you become possessed of this poignard?”
“Oh! it has been in our family for three hundred years. It was given to a Napoleon de Franchi by Sampietro himself.”
“Do you remember on what occasion?”
“Yes. Sampietro and my ancestor fell into an ambuscade of Genoese, and defended themselves like lions. Sampietro’s helmet was knocked off, and a Genoese on horseback was about to kill Sampietro with his mace when my ancestor plunged his dagger into a joint in his enemy’s armour. The rider feeling himself wounded spurred his horse, carrying away in his flight the dagger so firmly embedded in his armour that he was unable to withdraw it, and as my ancestor very much regretted the loss of his favourite weapon Sampietro gave him his own. Napoleon took great care of it, for it is of Spanish workmanship, as you see, and will penetrate two five-franc pieces one on top of another.”