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His fingers tightened on it convulsively, and he shot a piercing glanceat Jack.
"I am entirely at your service," he said very smoothly, and laid thesword on the table.
Some of the glare died out of my lord's eyes, and a little triumphantsmile curved the corners of his mouth. Quickly he divested himself ofhis fine velvet coat, his waistcoat and his scabbard, and pulled offthe heavy riding boots, caked with mud. He proceeded to tuck up hisruffles, awaiting his Grace's convenience.
As one in a dream, Diana saw the table pushed back, the paces measured,and heard the ring of steel against steel.
My lord opened the attack after a few moments' cautious circling,lunging swiftly and recovering, even as the Duke countered and delivereda lightning _riposte en quinte_. My lord parried gracefully in tierce,and chuckled softly to himself.
With parted lips and wide eyes, the girl on the couch watched each freshlunge. A dozen times it seemed as t
hough Carstares must be run through,but each time, by some miraculous means, he regained his opposition, andthe Duke's blade met steel.
Once, indeed, thrusting in _quarte_, Tracy's point, aimed too high,flashed above the other's guard and ripped the cambric shirt at thesleeve. My lord retired his foot nimbly, parried, and _riposted_ with astraight thrust, wrist held high, before Tracy could recover hisopposition. The blades clashed as forte met foible, and my lord lungedstraight at his opponent's breast.
Diana shut her eyes, expecting every moment to hear the dull thud ofTracy's body as it should fall to the ground. It did not come, butinstead there sounded a confused stamping, and scraping of blades, andshe looked again to find the Duke disengaging over my lord's supplewrist and being parried with the utmost ease and dexterity.
Carstares knew that he would not be able to last long, however. Hisshoulder, fretted by the long ride, was aching intolerably, and hiswrist seemed to have lost some of its cunning. He was conscious of asinging in his head which he tried, in vain, to ignore. But his eyesglowed and sparkled with the light of battle and the primitive lust tokill.
The Duke was fencing with almost superhuman skill, moving heavily anddeliberately, seemingly tireless.
Carstares, on the other hand, was as swift and light as a panther, gracein every turn of his slim body.
He feinted suddenly inside the arm, deceiving the parade of tierce. HisGrace fell back a pace, parrying in _quarte_, and as John with a quicktwist changed to _quarte_ also and the blades crossed, Tracy lungedforward the length of his arm, and a deep red splash stained thewhiteness of my lord's sleeve at the shoulder.
Diana gave a choked cry, knowing it to be the old wound, and the Duke'sblade came to rest upon the ground.
"You are--satisfied?" he asked coolly, but panting a little.
My lord reeled slightly, controlled himself and brushed his left handacross his eyes.
"On guard!" was all he replied, ignoring a pleading murmur from thegirl.
Tracy shrugged, meeting Carstares' blade with his, and the fight wenton.
Tracy's eyes were almost shut, it appeared to Diana, his chin thrustforward, his teeth gripping the thin lower lip.
To her horror she saw that Carstares was breathing in gasps, and thathis face was ashen in hue. It was torture to her to sit impotent, butshe held herself in readiness to fly to his rescue should the needarise. Suddenly my lord feinted on both sides of the arm and ripped openthe Duke's sleeve, causing a steady trickle of blood to drip down on tothe floor.
Tracy took no notice, but countered so deftly that John's blade wavered,and he staggered back. For an instant it seemed as though the end hadcome, but somehow he steadied himself, recovering his guard.
Diana was on her feet now, nearly as white as her lover, her handspressed to her breast. She saw that John's point was no longer sopurposeful, and the smile had gone from his lips. They were parted now,the upper one rigid, and a deep furrow cut into his brow.
Then, startling in the stillness of the great house, came the clangingof a bell, pulled with some violence.
Carstares' white lips moved soundlessly, and Diana, guessing it to beher father, moved, clinging to the wall, towards the door.
A moment later along the passage came the sound of steps; a gay,boisterous voice was raised, followed by a deeper, graver one.
His Grace's face became devilish in its expression, but Carstares tookno notice, seeming not to hear. Only he thrust with such skill that hisGrace was forced to fall back a pace. The loud voices demanded to knowwhat was toward in the locked room, and Diana, knowing that my lord wasnearly spent, beat upon the panels.
"Quickly, quickly!" she cried. "Break through, for heaven's sake,whoever you are! 'Tis locked!"
"Good Gad! 'tis a woman!" exclaimed the voice. "Listen,Dick!--why--why--'tis a fight!"
"Oh, be _quick_!" implored poor Diana.
And then came the deeper voice: "Stand away, madam, we will burst thelock."
