"Oh, oh!" Valentine remarked. "Still I hope I shall alter your opinion."
"Try it. Stay!" he added, suddenly changing his tone. "Enough of that sort of farce. I am in your power—nothing can save me. Kill me—no matter, I shall not say a word."
The two men exchanged glances of strange expressiveness.
"You are an idiot," Valentine answered coldly; "you understand nothing."
"I understand that you want to know the secrets of the expedition."
"You are a fool, my dear friend. Did I not tell you that I knew all?"
The bandit seemed to reflect for a minute.
"What do you want, then?" he said.
"Merely to buy you."
"Hum! that will be dear."