He then began to read from the faded manuscript. A mysterious feeling
pervaded the room. Once or twice Cluny gave a dry nervous kind of laugh.
Much of what Gaston had said was here in stately old-fashioned language.
At a certain point the MS. ran:

"I drew back and said, 'As your grace will have it, then--"'

Here Gaston came to a sitting posture, and interrupted.

"Wait, wait!"

He rose, caught one of two swords that were crossed on the wall, and
stood out.

"This is how it was. 'As your grace will have it, then, to no waste of
time!' We fell to. First he came carefully and made strange feints,
learned at King Louis's Court, to try my temper. But I had had these
tricks of my cousin Secord, and I returned his sport upon him. Then he
came swiftly, and forced me back upon the garden wall. I gave to him
foot by foot, for he was uncommon swift and dexterous. He pinched me
sorely once under the knee, and I returned him one upon the wrist, which
sent a devilish fire into his eyes. At that his play became so delicate
and confusing that I felt I should go dizzy if it stayed; so I tried the
one great trick cousin Secord taught me, making to run him through, as a
last effort. The thing went wrong, but checking off my blunder he
blundered too,--out of sheer wonder, perhaps, at my bungling,--and I
disarmed him. So droll was it that I laughed outright, and he, as quick
in humour as in temper, stood hand on hip, and presently came to a smile.
With that my cousin Secord cried: 'The king! the king!' I got me up
quickly--"