“But if they will not accompany me?”
“If all else fails, we go to France together. At least our brave countrymen will not be afraid, whatever these colder islanders may do.”
“You may depend on me for that,” I answered. “By-the-way, I should tell you that I bring a friend of my own to dinner—M. Lumme.”
“Lumme!” cried the Marquis. “You can trust him?”
“Implicitly.”
“And I trust you. Bring him if he is brave.” There was a minute's pause; he had suddenly fallen silent.
“Is that all?” I asked.
“All for the present, my brave friend; au revoir! We meet at the station at eleven precisely! Do not forget!”
He leaped up with that surprising vivacity that marked his movements, and before I had time to accompany him even as far as the door he had closed it and gone. In a moment, however, I heard his voice outside, apparently engaged in altercation with some one, and then followed some vigorous expletives and a brisk sound of scuffling.
I rushed into the passage, and there, to my consternation, beheld my friend retreating towards me before a vigorous onslaught by Halfred, who was flourishing his fists and exclaiming, “Come out, you beastly mounseer! Come out into the square and I'll paste your hugly mug inter a cocked at!”