While Parabere's attitude
and my demeanour gave him clearly to understand that we suspected
the truth, if we did not know it, our coolness and the very
nature of my demand imposed upon his fears and led him to believe
that we had a regiment at our call. He knew, too, that that
which might be done in a ruined hamlet might not be done in the
square at Gueret; and his knees trembled under him. He muttered
that he did not understand; that we must be mistaken. What
evidence had we?
"The best!" I answered grimly. "If you wish to hear it, I will
send for it; but witnesses have sometimes loose tongues,
Bareilles, and he may not stop at the Capitaine Martin."
He started and glared at me. From me his eyes passed to
Parabere; then he shuddered, and looked down at the table. As he
leaned against it, I heard the glasses tinkling softly. At last
he muttered that the man must have a trial.
I shrugged my shoulders, and would have answered that that was
his business; but at the moment a heavy step rang on the stone
steps, the door was flung hastily open, and a dark-complexioned
man came in with his hat on.
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