"Up, you drunken dogs! We have been fooled! After him!"
Then I heard him running after me on the road, swearing terribly.
From the place where he had left his men, I could hear them confusedly swearing and questioning one another, all having been rudely awakened from sleep, two of them being unable to find their weapons, and none knowing rightly what had occurred or exactly where their leader had gone.
Blaise came running out of the inn, with sword drawn. When he had joined me, I stopped and turned to face De Berquin. He was before me ere I had time to explain to Blaise. In his rage, he made a violent thrust at me, which Blaise turned aside. De Berquin then leaped back, to put himself on guard.
At that instant, the first stroke of eight came from the distant tower of Clochonne.
"Filthy cur, you have lied to me!" cried De Berquin.
"Nay, monsieur," I answered, throwing from me the weapons of Barbemouche and François, "I keep my word. I promised you La Tournoire unarmed. Behold him!"
And I stepped out from beside Blaise and stood with open arms.
"La Tournoire!" repeated De Berquin, taking a backward step and staring at me with open mouth.
"La Tournoire!" came in a faint, horror-stricken voice from behind me.