"Will you stop, brigand?" cried Leoni, when we had walked along the beach for several minutes. "Do you wish me to freeze here? Where is your mistress? Where are you taking me?"
"Signor," I rejoined, turning and drawing from under my cape the objects I had brought, "allow me to light your path."
With that I produced my dark lantern, opened it, and hung it on one of the posts on the bank.
"What the devil are you doing there?" he said; "have I a madman to deal with? What does this mean?"
"It means," I said, taking the swords from beneath my cloak, "that you must fight with me."
"With you, you cur! I'll beat you as you deserve."
"One moment," I said, taking him by the collar with an energy which staggered him a little. "I am not what you think; I am noble as well as yourself. Moreover, I am an honest man and you are a scoundrel. Therefore I do you much honor by fighting with you."
It seemed to me that my adversary trembled and was inclined to run away. I pressed him more closely.
"What do you want of me?" he cried. "Damnation! who are you? I don't know you. Why have you brought me here? Do you mean to murder me? I have no money about me. Are you a thief?"
"No," I said, "there is no thief and murderer here but yourself, as you well know."