The Captain felt that the telling of his story was ticklish work. The Count sat down on the sofa; the two ladies stood behind it, their eyes were fixed on the Captain in warning glances.
"Well, I got a message from a fellow to-night to meet him on the hill outside the village—by the Cross there, you know. I fancied I knew what he wanted, so I went."
"That was after you parted from me, I suppose?" asked Emilia.
"Yes," said the Captain, boldly. "It was as I supposed. He was after my papers. There was another fellow with him. I—I don't know who—"
"Well, I daresay he did n't mention his name," suggested Lucia.
"No, no, he did n't," agreed the Captain, hastily. "I knew only Guillaume—and that name 's an alias of a certain M. Sévier, a police spy, who had his reasons for being interested in me. Well, my dear friend, Guillaume tried to bribe me. Then with the aid of—" Just in time the Captain checked himself—"of the other rascal he—er—attacked me—"
"All this was before you met me, I suppose?" inquired Lucia.
"Certainly, certainly," assented the Captain. "I had been pursuing the second fellow. I chased him across the river—"
"You caught him!" cried the Count.
"No. He escaped me and made off in the direction of Sasellano."