"It would not have served me to kill you.

I could have done that ten times." Tignonville groaned, and, sitting down at the table, held the napkin to his aching head.

One of the candles had been overturned in the struggle and lay on the floor, flaring in a little pool of grease.

Tavannes set his heel upon it; then, striding to the farther end of the room, he picked up Tignonville's dagger and placed it beside his sword on the table.

He looked about to see if aught else remained to do, and, finding nothing, he returned to Tignonville's side.
"Now, Monsieur," he said in a voice hard and constrained, "I must ask you to perform your part of the bargain." A groan of anguish broke from the unhappy man.