Nay, good friend, if death is to be my portion, I prefer meeting it with a smile, and thus prove, at the ending, worthy of my race." There was a certain dignified manliness in his speech and manner which for the moment caused me to doubt my earlier reading of his character.
There might be steel beneath the velvet glove of this fair courtier.
"Do you mean you deliberately choose to remain here, rather than accept the chance I offer you ?" "Sacre! I have as yet heard of no chance," he replied easily, sinking indolently back into his old seat against the wall.

"I shall be fairly comfortable here for the while, though I must say I have used a better grade of tobacco than this furnished me." For the moment I was in despair as to the outcome of my mission, nor did I accept the proffered hand of the prisoner.

Here was a totally different order of man from what had ever come my way before, nor did I know how best to meet him.

How much of his vain and reckless speech came from the heart, and how much of it was merely a mask with which to test my purpose, I could not determine, yet I remained resolute regarding my own duty, and accordingly sat coolly down upon the chest, determined to play out his own game with him to the bitter end.
"Quite true, Chevalier," I said, smiling pleasantly, as if I entered fully into his reckless spirit.

"Doubtless you are right--needs must when the devil drives.