But Antoine, deserted by his comrade, who ran off as soon as he was wounded, had no heart to face the blade which played round him, threatening death at every flashing turn, gave ground and with a cry of terror, broke away and fled as fast as his legs would carry him.
His antagonist was following him, when there came a cry from Gabrielle.
“Monsieur—monsieur!”
He stopped at the words, turned, bared his head and bowed.
“Your pardon, mademoiselle. In my haste to punish a treacherous coward I was forgetting you were alone.”
“Monsieur,” said Gabrielle, now lowering her eyes in blushing confusion.
It was the cavalier who had rescued her the previous day in the market place; and the rush of thoughts held her tongue-tied in embarrassment.
CHAPTER VI
“I AM KNOWN AS GERARD DE COBALT.”
GABRIELLE’S heart beat very fast in the few moments she stood trying vainly to find words to speak, and she was conscious of little save a whirl of strange emotions in which predominated a sort of guilty pleasure at meeting again the stranger who had so filled her thoughts in the last hours.
He broke the silence.