She started and turned toward him with a quick, diffident smile, her dark eyes filling with an unspoken apology.

"I wanted to have another look at the broadsword there.

May I get it out of the window, or will you ?" Very quickly--he noticed that she went about it clumsily despite her supple gracefulness--she withdrew the heavy weapon from the window and laid it upon the counter.

He was looking at her with a peculiar smile upon his lips.

She flushed painfully.
"I am not--not what you would call an expert," she said frankly.
"You mean in handling broadswords," he said in his most suave manner.
"It's a cunning little thing, isn't it ?" He picked up the ponderous blade.