I read his face, and knew before he spoke what he
would do.
'It appears to me that the burden is with you,' he said huskily;
'but for my part I am satisfied.'
'Very well,' I said, 'I take the burden. Permit me to apologise
for having caused you to strip unnecessarily. Fortunately the
sun is shining.'
'Yes,' he said gloomily. And he took his clothes from the
sundial and began to put them on. He had expressed himself
satisfied, but I knew that he was feeling very ill-satisfied,
indeed, with himself; and I was not surprised when he presently
said abruptly and almost rudely, 'There is one thing that I think
we must settle here.'
'Yes?' I said. 'What is that?'
'Our positions,' he blurted out, 'Or we shall cross one another
again within the hour.'
'Umph! I am not quite sure that I understand,' I said.
'That is precisely what I don't do--understand!' he retorted, in
a tone of surly triumph. 'Before I came on this duty, I was told
that there was a gentleman here, bearing sealed orders from the
Cardinal to arrest M. de Cocheforet; and I was instructed to
avoid collision with him so far as might be possible.
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