“You were speaking of Savin, eh? A man who is the soul of honor, and generous, too, by the saints. Being a sergeant-major he knows the world as it stands. He has seen service, too, and——”
“To the point,” cry his hearers, impatiently.
“Ah, well, why pursue the subject? You all know D’Angerolles’s story.”
“Yes. He was suspected of shooting——”
“Suspected?”
“Yes, Andoche. It was but a mere suspicion.”
“They found old Martin dead on his doorstep. D’Angerolles had passed by only twenty-five minutes before, with his gun on his shoulder, and as a report was heard but a moment previous to his quitting the mill, you understand, it looked more than suspicious.”
“But, Andoche, D’Angerolles had no motive or object in killing Martin.”
“Vengeance is strong.”
“But he never said a word against the old man.”