"It shall last to the end," said Herrick, repeating Christine's words.
"I fear you have been too lenient," said Lemasle, letting his sword fall with a rattle into its scabbard.
"He, at least, has found the payment sufficiently high," said Jean, and the bells on his bauble jingled as he pointed it at the dead body of Captain Barbier.
[CHAPTER XIX]
A CHANGED MAN
The conviction that the new Duke had been too lenient was more firmly impressed upon Gaspard Lemasle each day, each hour almost. In the captain's conception of life and duty there was much that was primitive; a blow for a blow, treachery for treachery, seemed to him amongst the first laws of existence. Failure would have meant certain death to the conspirators, success naturally ought to mean death to those against whom they had conspired, to Count Felix and all who had aided him.
"A man who holds his power at the hands of the mob cannot afford to be lenient," he said to Jean.
"Is that friend Roger's case?" said the dwarf.