’Haha!Youareright!AgentlemanIam!AndagentlemanI’lllive，andagentlemanI’lldie!It’smyintenttobeagentleman。
It’smygame。Deathofmysoul，IplayitoutwhereverIgo!’
Hechangedhisposturetoasittingone，cryingwithatriumphantair：
’HereIam!Seeme!Shakenoutofdestiny’sdice-boxintothecompanyofameresmuggler；——shutupwithapoorlittlecontrabandtrader，whosepapersarewrong，andwhomthepolicelayholdofbesides，forplacinghisboatasameansofgettingbeyondthefrontieratthedispositionofotherlittlepeoplewhosepapersarewrong；andheinstinctivelyrecognisesmyposition，evenbythislightandinthisplace。It’swelldone!ByHeaven!Iwin，howeverthegamegoes。’
Againhismoustachewentup，andhisnosecamedown。
’What’sthehournow？’heasked，withadryhotpalloruponhim，ratherdifficultofassociationwithmerriment。
’Alittlehalf-houraftermid-day。’
’Good!ThePresidentwillhaveagentlemanbeforehimsoon。Come!
ShallItellyouonwhataccusation？Itmustbenow，ornever，forIshallnotreturnhere。EitherIshallgofree，orIshallgotobemadereadyforshaving。Youknowwheretheykeeptherazor。’
SignorCavallettotookhiscigarettefrombetweenhispartedlips，andshowedmoremomentarydiscomfiturethanmighthavebeenexpected。
’Iama’——MonsieurRigaudstooduptosayit——’Iamacosmopolitangentleman。Iownnoparticularcountry。MyfatherwasSwiss——
CantondeVaud。MymotherwasFrenchbyblood，Englishbybirth。
ImyselfwasborninBelgium。Iamacitizenoftheworld。’
Histheatricalair，ashestoodwithonearmonhishipwithinthefoldsofhiscloak，togetherwithhismannerofdisregardinghiscompanionandaddressingtheoppositewallinstead，seemedtointimatethathewasrehearsingforthePresident，whoseexaminationhewasshortlytoundergo，ratherthantroublinghimselfmerelytoenlightensosmallapersonasJohnBaptistCavalletto。
’Callmefive-and-thirtyyearsofage。Ihaveseentheworld。I
havelivedhere，andlivedthere，andlivedlikeagentlemaneverywhere。Ihavebeentreatedandrespectedasagentlemanuniversally。IfyoutrytoprejudicemebymakingoutthatIhavelivedbymywits——howdoyourlawyerslive——yourpoliticians——yourintriguers——yourmenoftheExchange？’
Hekepthissmallsmoothhandinconstantrequisition，asifitwereawitnesstohisgentilitythathadoftendonehimgoodservicebefore。
’TwoyearsagoIcametoMarseilles。IadmitthatIwaspoor；I
hadbeenill。Whenyourlawyers，yourpoliticians，yourintriguers，yourmenoftheExchangefallill，andhavenotscrapedmoneytogether，theybecomepoor。IputupattheCrossofGold，——
keptthenbyMonsieurHenriBarronneau——sixty-fiveatleast，andinafailingstateofhealth。IhadlivedinthehousesomefourmonthswhenMonsieurHenriBarronneauhadthemisfortunetodie；——
atanyrate，notararemisfortune，that。Ithappenswithoutanyaidofmine，prettyoften。’
JohnBaptisthavingsmokedhiscigarettedowntohisfingers’ends，MonsieurRigaudhadthemagnanimitytothrowhimanother。Helightedthesecondattheashesofthefirst，andsmokedon，lookingsidewaysathiscompanion，who，preoccupiedwithhisowncase，hardlylookedathim。
’MonsieurBarronneauleftawidow。Shewastwo-and-twenty。Shehadgainedareputationforbeauty，andwhichisoftenanotherthingwasbeautiful。IcontinuedtoliveattheCrossofGold。
ImarriedMadameBarronneau。Itisnotformetosaywhethertherewasanygreatdisparityinsuchamatch。HereIstand，withthecontaminationofajailuponme；butitispossiblethatyoumaythinkmebettersuitedtoherthanherformerhusbandwas。’
Hehadacertainairofbeingahandsomeman——whichhewasnot；andacertainairofbeingawell-bredman——whichhewasnot。Itwasmereswaggerandchallenge；butinthisparticular，asinmanyothers，blusteringassertiongoesforproof，halfovertheworld。
’Beitasitmay，MadameBarronneauapprovedofme。Thatisnottoprejudiceme，Ihope？’
HiseyehappeningtolightuponJohnBaptistwiththisinquiry，thatlittlemanbrisklyshookhisheadinthenegative，andrepeatedinanargumentativetoneunderhisbreath，altro，altro，altro，altro——aninfinitenumberoftimes。
’Nowcamethedifficultiesofourposition。Iamproud。Isaynothingindefenceofpride，butIamproud。Itisalsomycharactertogovern。Ican’tsubmit；Imustgovern。
Unfortunately，thepropertyofMadameRigaudwassettleduponherself。Suchwastheinsaneactofherlatehusband。Moreunfortunatelystill，shehadrelations。Whenawife’srelationsinterposeagainstahusbandwhoisagentleman，whoisproud，andwhomustgovern，theconsequencesareinimicaltopeace。Therewasyetanothersourceofdifferencebetweenus。MadameRigaudwasunfortunatelyalittlevulgar。Isoughttoimprovehermannersandamelioratehergeneraltone；shesupportedinthislikewisebyherrelationsresentedmyendeavours。Quarrelsbegantoarisebetweenus；and，propagatedandexaggeratedbytheslandersoftherelationsofMadameRigaud，tobecomenotorioustotheneighbours。
IthasbeensaidthatItreatedMadameRigaudwithcruelty。Imayhavebeenseentoslapherface——nothingmore。Ihavealighthand；andifIhavebeenseenapparentlytocorrectMadameRigaudinthatmanner，Ihavedoneitalmostplayfully。’
IftheplayfulnessofMonsieurRigaudwereatallexpressedbyhissmileatthispoint，therelationsofMadameRigaudmighthavesaidthattheywouldhavemuchpreferredhiscorrectingthatunfortunatewomanseriously。
’Iamsensitiveandbrave。Idonotadvanceitasamerittobesensitiveandbrave，butitismycharacter。IfthemalerelationsofMadameRigaudhadputthemselvesforwardopenly，Ishouldhaveknownhowtodealwiththem。Theyknewthat，andtheirmachinationswereconductedinsecret；consequently，MadameRigaudandIwerebroughtintofrequentandunfortunatecollision。EvenwhenIwantedanylittlesumofmoneyformypersonalexpenses，I
couldnotobtainitwithoutcollision——andI，too，amanwhosecharacteritistogovern!Onenight，MadameRigaudandmyselfwerewalkingamicably——Imaysaylikelovers——onaheightoverhangingthesea。AnevilstaroccasionedMadameRigaudtoadverttoherrelations；Ireasonedwithheronthatsubject，andremonstratedonthewantofdutyanddevotionmanifestedinherallowingherselftobeinfluencedbytheirjealousanimositytowardsherhusband。MadameRigaudretorted；Iretorted；MadameRigaudgrewwarm；Igrewwarm，andprovokedher。Iadmitit。
Franknessisapartofmycharacter。Atlength，MadameRigaud，inanaccessoffurythatImusteverdeplore，threwherselfuponmewithscreamsofpassionnodoubtthosethatwereoverheardatsomedistance，toremyclothes，toremyhair，laceratedmyhands，trampledandtrodthedust，andfinallyleapedover，dashingherselftodeathupontherocksbelow。SuchisthetrainofincidentswhichmalicehaspervertedintomyendeavouringtoforcefromMadameRigaudarelinquishmentofherrights；and，onherpersistenceinarefusaltomaketheconcessionIrequired，strugglingwithher——assassinatingher!’
Hesteppedasidetotheledgewherethevineleavesyetlaystrewnabout，collectedtwoorthree，andstoodwipinghishandsuponthem，withhisbacktothelight。
’Well，’hedemandedafterasilence，’haveyounothingtosaytoallthat？’
’It’sugly，’returnedthelittleman，whohadrisen，andwasbrighteninghisknifeuponhisshoe，asheleanedanarmagainstthewall。
’Whatdoyoumean？’
JohnBaptistpolishedhisknifeinsilence。
’DoyoumeanthatIhavenotrepresentedthecasecorrectly？’
’Al-tro!’returnedJohnBaptist。Thewordwasanapologynow，andstoodfor’Oh，bynomeans!’
’Whatthen？’
’Presidentsandtribunalsaresoprejudiced。’
’Well，’criedtheother，uneasilyflingingtheendofhiscloakoverhisshoulderwithanoath，’letthemdotheirworst!’
’TrulyIthinktheywill，’murmuredJohnBaptisttohimself，ashebenthisheadtoputhisknifeinhissash。
Nothingmorewassaidoneitherside，thoughtheybothbeganwalkingtoandfro，andnecessarilycrossedateveryturn。
MonsieurRigaudsometimesstopped，asifheweregoingtoputhiscaseinanewlight，ormakesomeirateremonstrance；butSignorCavallettocontinuingtogoslowlytoandfroatagrotesquekindofjog-trotpacewithhiseyesturneddownward，nothingcameoftheseinclinings。
By-and-bythenoiseofthekeyinthelockarrestedthemboth。Thesoundofvoicessucceeded，andthetreadoffeet。Thedoorclashed，thevoicesandthefeetcameon，andtheprison-keeperslowlyascendedthestairs，followedbyaguardofsoldiers。
’Now，MonsieurRigaud，’saidhe，pausingforamomentatthegrate，withhiskeysinhishands，’havethegoodnesstocomeout。’
’Iamtodepartinstate，Isee？’
’Why，unlessyoudid，’returnedthejailer，’youmightdepartinsomanypiecesthatitwouldbedifficulttogetyoutogetheragain。
There’sacrowd，MonsieurRigaud，anditdoesn’tloveyou。’
Hepassedonoutofsight，andunlockedandunbarredalowdoorinthecornerofthechamber。’Now，’saidhe，asheopeneditandappearedwithin，’comeout。’
ThereisnosortofwhitenessinallthehuesunderthesunatalllikethewhitenessofMonsieurRigaud’sfaceasitwasthen。
Neitheristhereanyexpressionofthehumancountenanceatalllikethatexpressionineverylittlelineofwhichthefrightenedheartisseentobeat。Bothareconventionallycomparedwithdeath；butthedifferenceisthewholedeepgulfbetweenthestruggledone，andthefightatitsmostdesperateextremity。
Helightedanotherofhispapercigarsathiscompanion’s；putittightlybetweenhisteeth；coveredhisheadwithasoftslouchedhat；threwtheendofhiscloakoverhisshoulderagain；andwalkedoutintothesidegalleryonwhichthedooropened，withouttakinganyfurthernoticeofSignorCavalletto。Astothatlittlemanhimself，hiswholeattentionhadbecomeabsorbedingettingnearthedoorandlookingoutatit。Preciselyasabeastmightapproachtheopenedgateofhisdenandeyethefreedombeyond，hepassedthosefewmomentsinwatchingandpeering，untilthedoorwascloseduponhim。
Therewasanofficerincommandofthesoldiers；astout，serviceable，profoundlycalmman，withhisdrawnswordinhishand，smokingacigar。HeverybrieflydirectedtheplacingofMonsieurRigaudinthemidstoftheparty，puthimselfwithconsummateindifferenceattheirhead，gavetheword’march!’andsotheyallwentjinglingdownthestaircase。Thedoorclashed——thekeyturned——andarayofunusuallight，andabreathofunusualair，seemedtohavepassedthroughthejail，vanishinginatinywreathofsmokefromthecigar。
Still，inhiscaptivity，likealoweranimal——likesomeimpatientape，orrousedbearofthesmallerspecies——theprisoner，nowleftsolitary，hadjumpedupontheledge，tolosenoglimpseofthisdeparture。Asheyetstoodclaspingthegratewithbothhands，anuproarbrokeuponhishearing；yells，shrieks，oaths，threats，execrations，allcomprehendedinit，thoughasinastormnothingbutaragingswellofsounddistinctlyheard。