"The matter is," he groaned, as Dick let go, "that this son of Satan
has a blacksmith's vise in place of a hand," and he showed his great
fingers, from beneath the nails of which the blood was oozing.
His Venetian companions of the Guard looked at them, then they looked at
Grey Dick and gave him a wide berth. Also Ambrosio said something about
having offered to fight a man and not a fiend. But it was too late to
retract, for the Doge, taking, as was natural, no share in this small
matter, had already left his throne.
Then, escorted by Sir Geoffrey and the city Guards, Hugh and Grey Dick
passed through that splendid company away home to dinner, Dick carrying
his bow-case in one hand and the sack of armour which de Noyon had not
thought fit to claim in the other.
In the midst of dead silence, they departed, for now no one seemed to
find either of them a fit subject for jest. Indeed there were some who
said, as they watched the pair pass the door, that Cattrina and the
giant would do well to consult a lawyer and a priest that night.
CHAPTER XII
THE MAN FROM THE EAST
In a great, cool room of his splendid Venetian palace, Sir Edmund Acour,
Seigneur of Cattrina sat in consultation with the priest Nicholas.
Clearly he was ill at ease; his face and his quick, impatient movements
showed it.
"You arrange badly," he said in a voice quite devoid of its ordinary
melodious tones.
Pages:
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223