Suddenly he stopped, and said seriously, "Now, look here, both of you, we mustn't let my father know about this, or he'll certainly thrash that bounding Frenchman; and that wouldn't be good enough, don't you know." "It would be very good for him," said Dorothy with some vindictiveness.
"Yes, but not for my father," said Tinker very earnestly, indeed.

"For all that he looks like a swollen frog, Le Comte de Puy-de-Dome is awfully dangerous with the pistol.

He's hurt two men badly in duels already." "Has he ?" said Dorothy quickly, and the colour faded in her cheeks.
"Then we must, indeed, say nothing about it." "Swear," said Tinker, raising his right hand.
"We swear," said Dorothy and Elsie in one voice, raising their right hands.

It was a formality which had to be gone through many times when they played at being conspirators; their words and action were mechanical.
"That's all right," said Tinker with a sigh of relief.
Count Sigismond returned to his hotel in a very hot fury.

His outraged pride clamoured for vengeance, and he sought for someone on whom to be revenged.