The superiority in position no longer lay with me.

I found myself fighting between walls close to the opening in the door, through which the light fell athwart my eyes, baffling and perplexing me.

Fresnoy was not slow to see the aid this gave him, and pressed me hard and desperately; so that we played for a full minute at close quarters, thrusting and parrying, neither of us having room to use the edge, or time to utter word or prayer.
At this game we were so evenly matched that for a time the end was hard to tell.

Presently, however, there came a change.

My opponent's habit of wild living suited ill with a prolonged bout, and as his strength and breath failed and he began to give ground I discerned I had only to wear him out to have him at my mercy.