It startled him; but he almost laughed to him self at the absurdity of the suggestion.

Ferrol was the last man in the world to play a game like that, and with him.
Still he could not resist a temptation.

He stepped in front of the pistol, almost touching it with his forehead, looking at Ferrol as he had looked at the highwayman last night.
"Look out, it's loaded!" said Ferrol, lowering the weapon coolly, and not showing by sign or muscle that he understood Lavilette's meaning.

"I should think you'd had enough of pistols for one twenty-four hours." "Do you know, Ferrol, you looked just then so like the robber last night that, for one moment, I half thought!--And the pistol, too, looks just the same--that silver piece on the butt!" "Oh, yes, this piece for the name of the owner!" said Ferrol, in a laughing brogue, and he coughed a little.

"Well, maybe some one did use this pistol last night.