The Mystery of Choice

e of St. Gildas vowing vengeance again

d sabots, his short velvet jacket torn and soiled by exposure and dissipation, and his eyes, fierce, rovin

efore he could fire, and a second later we were rolling in the dust of the Bannalec road. I had to hit him a heavy blow behind the ear before he would let go, and then, rising and shaking myself, I dashed his muzzl

her," I said, as I passed him

is eyes. For a moment I thought he was going to attack me; but he was merely vic

no longer. I did not dress entirely; I merely slipped on a pair of chaussons and sabots, a pair of knickerbockers, a jersey, and a cap. Then, loosely tying a handkerchi

and looked up at the window where, th

he Red Admiral, I saw that it was dark, but the door was open. I stepped inside the hedge to shut i

ton moonlight. A nightingale was singing in a willow swamp below, and from the edge

gainst the paling horizon, I saw a seaweed gatherer going to his work among the curling breakers on the coa

Gi

Gi

for

lte

toil in

rayer, surely I believed Our Lady of Fa?uet would be kinder to Lys. It is said that the shrine casts white shadows. I looked, but saw only the moon

ust be eleven o'clock, for there

the gendarmes made their rounds every Thursday at eleven,

my eyes, "they are after Terrec,"

pening my door, razor in hand, stood astonished and silent.

to me, panting like a wounded sea gull. At last, when I drew her into t

l die before I believe one word of what they say.

g one arm about her waist, went down the stairs and out into the road. Four gendarmes sat on their

brigadier, "what the devil is t

ked him over from the tip of his spurred boots to his sulphur-yellow

't try any cheap sleuth work on me!

to speak, but thought better of it and got up and went into the ho

said impatiently,

e said in a

o I look like a murderer? Get off your hors

ly, and came up to me, offering h

denounced you! See, they found

for Heaven's

e Red Ad

iral's? What

's only bee

man had disappeared, and there only remained a nauseating lake of blood on the stone floor, in the centre of which lay a human hand. There was no doubt as to whom the hand belonged, for everybody w

been murder committed. Wh

asked

. Send for th

imperlé. I

nd find out how long this

Quimperlé is her

does h

hat he doe

st?" I inquired, turning away

enounced by the Purple Emperor, because he found your h

I exclaimed, thoroughly angry.

N

hoot his father last night, and that I took away his gun. All that coun

n talk it over, there. Of course, Monsieur Darrel, I have

ons, smoking, drinking, and jabbering in half a dozen dialects, all equally unsatisfactory to a civilized ear;

king hands and offering me the mate to

's door this morning, and so he concludes"-here I glared at the Purple Emperor-"that I am the assassin. I will

and turned pale, and I po

et I do not charge him with murder; and I tell you, gentlemen, that ma

awled the Pu

aid. "It was

" he said obstinatel

not, being

ut I am mayor of St. Gildas, and I do not

try to kill h

yor gr

saw wha

unted

is father. You heard him curse the Red Admiral and swear to

chief?" sneered t

ed it, o

ast night lurking about the Red Admiral

led at the

Admiral's door, which was ajar, although his light was not burning. After that I went up the road to the Dinez Woods, and then walke

id you

and then I went to bed and slept until Brigadie

ger and shooting a wicked glance at me, "Now, Monsieur Darrel, whi

abots. I just slipped on my chau

or sabots?" snarled

s, you

ed, lifting up a wooden shoe wi

" I r

he shouted, and held up a sabot, the mate to th

calmly; but my heart was beating

ur duty if you think I am under suspicion. Arrest me, but grant me one favour. Put me in the Red Admiral's cottage, and I'll see whether I can

rved the Purple Emper

Red Admiral?" I asked them all

s Terrec i

wung around and shook my fi

I said; and I followed Brigadier Durand acros