"Yes, but there's that rotter Charles ready to inherit! If you're bent on suicide—"
"I'm not. You know I'm not."
"—you might have the decency to kill that miserable cousin first and bring the line to an end in common honor! He'll survive you, and as sure as I sit here and swear at you, he'll bring the Montdidier name into worse disgrace than Judas Iscariot's!"
"I've no intention of suicide, Fred. I assure you—"
But Fred waved the argument aside contemptuously, and stood up to gather our attention.
"Listen!" He thrust forward his Van Dyke beard that valiantly strove to hide a chin like a piece of flint. "Monty has found the robbers' nest that used to belong to his infernal ancestors. I charge any of you who count yourselves his friends to help me prevent him from behaving like an idiot!"
"That'll do, Fred!" said Monty, pressing him back against the wall. "The fact is," he twisted at his black mustache and eyed us each for a second in turn, looking as handsome as the devil, "that I have found what I originally set out to look for. It overlooks Zeitoon, hidden among trees. I propose to use it. As for quixotism—is there any one here not willing to fight in the last ditch to help Kagig and these Armenians?"
"I'm with you!" laughed Gloria, and she and Will had a scuffle over near the fireplace.
"I knew what to expect of the women," said Monty rather bitterly.
"I'm speaking to Fred and the men!"
"Where's Peter Measel?" I asked. But the others did not see the connection.