think she said?"

"That you were a good fellow, and would certainly not have the
atrocious courage to--"

"Tut! tut! tut! I am not such a good fellow as you think. I am
not frightened of blood, and that I have proved already, though
it would be useless to tell you how and where. But I had no
necessity to prove it to her, for she knows that I am capable of
a good many things; even of crime; especially of one crime."

"And she was not frightened?"

"No. She merely replied that I could not do what I said; you
understand. That I could not do it!"

"Why not?"

"Ah! Monsieur, so you do not understand? Why do you not? I have I
not explained to you by what constant, long, daily practice I
have learned to plant my knives without seeing what I am doing?"

"Yes, well, what then?"

"Well! Cannot you understand what she has understood with such
terrible results, that now my hand would no longer obey me if I
wished to make a mistake as I threw?"

"Is it possible?"