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"To one of my temperament it would be impossible, and men of my temperament are plentiful, I think." "But if you were thrashed yourself?" Tremayne asked him, and the light in his grey eyes almost hinted at a dark desire to be himself the executioner. Samoval's dark, handsome eyes considered the captain steadily. "To be thrashed myself?" he questioned.
The man's cool assurance and cooler contempt of Samoval's views stung the Count into some sharpness. "Are you seeking information, sir, or are you bestowing it?" he inquired. "Ah! Your pardon, Monsieur le Comte. I inquire of course. I put forward arguments to anticipate conditions that may possibly be erroneous." Samoval waived the point.
Captain Tremayne rose. Grant was talking briskly at the time, his intention being to cover Tremayne's retreat, which he himself desired. Count Samoval's smouldering eyes were upon the captain, and full of menace. But he could not be guilty of the rudeness of interrupting Grant or of detaining Captain Tremayne when a lady called him.
He was very active therein the French interest; I should indeed be more precise and say in Bonaparte's interest, for he was the man instrumental in disclosing to Soult the Bourbon conspiracy which was undermining the marshal's army. You do not know, perhaps, that French sympathy runs in Samoval's family.
You may not be aware that the Portuguese Marquis of Alorna, who holds a command in the Emperor's army, and is at present with Massena at Salamanca, is Samoval's cousin." "But," faltered Sir Terence, "Count Samoval has been a regular visitor here for the past three months." "So I understand," said Grant coolly. "If I had known of it before I should have warned you.
The two men bowed to each other in silence, and as Samoval's cloak fell open he produced a pair of duelling-swords swathed together in a skin of leather. "You are very punctual, sir," said O'Moy. "I hope I shall never be so discourteous as to keep an opponent waiting.
He was a gentleman of the fine flower, as he would have described himself of the nobility of Portugal; and that a probably upstart Irish soldier himself, from Samoval's point of view, a guest in that country should deny him his house, and choose such terms of ill-considered jocularity in which to do it, was an affront beyond all endurance.
"That is a matter for your lordship. But if I might venture " "Venture and be damned," snapped Wellington. "The signal service rendered the cause of the allies by the death of Samoval might perhaps be permitted to weigh against the offence committed by O'Moy." "How could it?" snapped his lordship. "You don't know, O'Moy, that upon Samoval's body were found certain documents intended for Massena.
Sylvia explained that it was from the Portuguese Government that the demand for justice upon the violator of the nunnery at Tavora emanated, and that Samoval's offer might be calculated to obtain him information of Butler's whereabouts when they became known, so that he might surrender him to the Government. "My dear!" Lady O'Moy was shocked almost beyond expression.
But mention of them will surely have been made in this household. However," he broke off abruptly, "that is all past and done with. I am as sure as you are that any real indiscretions in this household are unimaginable, and so we may be confident that no harm has yet been done. But you will gather from what I have now told you that Samoval's visits here are not a mere social waste of time.
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