“Not at all. The thing that pleases me is to know that eventually you will suffer for your treachery. The idea of a man of your kind selling out to the enemy.”
“That’s enough of that kind of talk,” said the count angrily. “Another word like that, and I’ll shoot you as you sit there.”
“I can’t see that the time will make any difference,” said Jack quietly.
“Neither will it,” was the reply. “However, I intend to use my own judgment.”
“And may I ask how you intend to perform this execution?” asked Jack.
“You may,” was the reply. “I intend that you shall sit in that chair. I shall move back a ways, for I want to do a little practice. It will make no difference if I do not kill you with the first shot; in fact I had rather that I did not. A little suffering won’t be too great payment for what you have done.”
“You are a nice sort of a gentleman, aren’t you,” said Jack.
“That’s neither here nor there. Time was when I was a gentleman. You have made it impossible for me to continue so. That is why you must die.”
“You were never a gentleman,” said Jack quietly. “A gentleman is always a man of honor. You could never have been a man of honor.”
“You think so, eh? Well what you think has nothing to do with matters. Are you ready to die?”