"And that?"
"Is obvious; you are the obstacle in his path, and he intends to remove it."
"You mean that he will try to take my life?"
"If you were dead, he would obtain the estates without trouble, and the patent would follow."
"Pshaw!" I exclaimed, "Etienne Cordel is too timorous a knave to play with naked steel, or even to fire a pistol from behind a hedge!"
"But not too timorous to employ others," said L'Estang. "There are scores of ruffians in Paris ready to earn a few crowns, and Cordel knows where to seek them. That is what brought me here to-night. Weigh well what I say, monsieur. This rascal has marked you down, and sleeping or waking your life is in danger."
I thanked the kind-hearted adventurer warmly for his service—it was strange to think that but for a trifling accident he might have been earning Cordel's pay—and promised to observe the greatest caution.
"If I learn anything more," he said, "I will send you a note by a trusty messenger, and that you may be sure it comes from me I will sign it D'Angely."
"A good suggestion, monsieur. Now, there is still time for an hour or two's sleep before starting on your journey."
"I must not be here at daylight: if Cordel recognizes me, I can do you no more good."