"It is not my fault," I said to myself angrily; "he has lost; he must pay forfeit!"
"A dying woman blesses you, and surely the saints will reward you!" The room was filled with the words; they buzzed in my ears, and beat into my brain continually; I could not rid myself of them. "A dying woman!" Ay, perhaps a dead woman by now, and her son following swiftly as the night the day! I could have cried aloud in my agony of mind.
CHAPTER VII
A Commission for the Admiral
"It is over, monsieur."
Renaud L'Estang stood before me, his face drawn and haggard, and heavy with a great grief. He had stolen in noiselessly; his sword and pistol lay within reach of his hand; he might have killed me without effort, and saved his own life. The thought flashed into my mind, but died away instantly. From the moment when he told his story I had never once mistrusted him.
"Your mother has passed away?" I questioned in a tone of sympathy.
"She died in my arms; her last moments were full of peace. Now, I am at your service."
"You are faint," I said. "Will it not be advisable to break your fast before starting out? You will need all your strength."