“There is no fear of that. I will be on the spot at that time with my second, if I can procure one.”
“If? Do you doubt being able to do so?”
“No! I believe there will not be much difficulty as far as that is concerned, and so our conference is at an end, monsieur.”
The earl bowed, turned on his heel, and took his departure.
“Agatha was quite right,” he ejaculated, when far removed from the spot where the strange interview had taken place. “He’s a desperate, determined fellow, and means to send me to the next world if he possibly can; but there is no help for it now, I cannot retract: even if I were disposed to do so the chances are that I should be waylaid and murdered. I must meet this young ruffian and trust in Providence. I wish now I had not consented to have an interview with him, but one can never foresee these things until it is too late. Hang the fellow, what is the value of his life in comparison to mine?”
Hurrying on with rapid steps he soon came within sight of Madame Trieste’s chateau.
He paused, and endeavoured to assume as calm a demeanour as possible; but, despite his fortitude, he was greatly troubled at the issue of affairs.
He began to consider seriously whether the fascinating and beauteous Theresa was worth the sanguinary encounter which had been appointed to take place on the morrow.
Taking a common-sense view of the question, the conclusion would be that she was not, but hot-headed lovers have generally but a small modicum of common sense left in their whole composition, and such appeared to be the case with Lord Ethalwood, who had, in a great measure, brought himself into his present difficulty.
As to Chanet, he was so wild and furious that it was not possible for him to be brought under the influence of reason.