I made no response to his offer. I could not.
“You have made a good choice of a house, Count,” he said, after another pause. “I congratulate you. And where is the room where you are going to lure the coy pigeons to be trained in the service of the Princess Christina?” Evidently she had told him of the project.
“I will show it you, if you like,” I said, rising.
“Nothing will please me better,” he said, following me from the room. “Egad, a splendid hall!” he exclaimed in genuine admiration as we entered it. “Men tell me, too, that you know how to use the sword well. From all accounts you easily spitted that fool Ristich the first time at old Kolfort’s, and did just what you liked with him when you met him on the ground.”
“He was wounded, and in my opinion unfit to fight. I protested against his doing so, as you may have heard; but he insisted, and left me no option.”
He examined all the arrangements and gymnastic apparatus with obvious interest, making many comments to show his appreciation of everything.
“This is a novel thing for Sofia,” he said, after a while. “And a devilish shrewd device to draw in the young bloods of the place. They will make a hero of you, Count. A splendid thought, and one that shows what an acquisition you will be to us. A pistol range, too; magnificent! May I try a shot or two?” He spoke with assumed indifference, but I caught a glance which told me he wished to surprise me with a display of his skill in shooting.
“By all means,” I answered readily, not at all unwilling to see what he could do, and to show him also that I knew how to handle a pistol pretty well.
He was a good shot, and took a pride in his work, laughing boastfully when he sent his bullet three times in succession into the bull’s-eye of the small target.
“I’m strange to the pistol, of course; but that’s not bad for a first attempt, eh? I’m a bit out of practice, too, for I haven’t a place like this to keep my hand in.” There was a sneer at me in this.