There was a heavy stillness in the room when Lagardere came to the end of
his tale. "This sounds serious," Cocardasse said, gloomily, and those
about him were gloomily silent.
Lagardere resumed his story: "I pondered that thrust for a month. At last
I mastered it. I tried it on the Baron de Brissac with perfect success."
A general laugh at this remark relieved the tension of the bravos'
nerves. Æsop took advantage of the more cheerful atmosphere again to
address Lagardere. "Matchless cavalier," he asked, with a wry assumption
of politeness, "would you show me that thrust you esteem so highly?"
Lagardere looked at the speaker with a whimsical smile. "With pleasure,"
he said, and drew his sword. Æsop did likewise, and while the bravos drew
back towards the wall to allow a free space for the lesson the two
swordsmen came on guard. Lagardere explained while he fenced, naming each
feint and lunge and circle of the complicated attack as he made it. With
the last word of his steel-illuminated lecture his sword, that had
illustrated the words of the fencer, seemed suddenly to leap forward, a
glittering streak of light.
Æsop leaped back with a yell, and clapped his left hand to his forehead.
"Damnation!" he cried.
Cocardasse, who had been following the proceedings with the keenest
attention, hurried out of the circle of spectators. "Splendid!" he cried.
"What is the parry?"
"It is as clear as day," Lagardere answered. "This is how the trick is
done," and again, as he spoke, his blade explained his text, gleaming and
twisting in the cunning evolutions of the riposte.
Cocardasse, who had drawn his own sword, repeated Lagardere's words and
parodied Lagardere's gestures faithfully. "I see," he said, and turned to
the others, who had lost nothing of the lesson. "Have you caught it,
boys? It might serve--"
Lagardere interrupted him, indifferent to the evil appreciation on the
faces of the spectators. "It will serve at once. I am going to try it on
its master."
"On Nevers?" queried Staupitz, hoarsely.
Lagardere nodded. "On no less a man. I should have told you that I
plagued him until he promised me my revenge. When I was exiled I wrote to
remind him." Lagardere drew a letter from his breast and held it up for a
moment before returning it to its lodging. "In this letter he accepts my
challenge, names the time, the place--"