Whilst Blood was dressing the wound, Tondeur recovered from his momentary swoon he stared with eyes that slowly focussed the man who was bending over him.
«Assassin!» he said through his teeth, and then his head lolled limply on his shoulder once more.
«On the contrary,» said Blood, his finger deftly swathing the body which Ventadour was supporting, «I'm your preserver.» And to the company he announced: «He will not die of this, for all that it went through him.. With luck he'll be ruffling it again within the month. But he'd best not be moved from here for some days, and he'll need care.»
Jeremy never knew how he found himself once more aboard the Arabella. The events of the afternoon were dim to him as the transactions of a dream. He had looked, as he conceived, into the grim face of death, and yet he had survived. That evening at supper in the great cabin he made philosophy upon it.
«It serves,» he said, «to show the advantages of never losing heart or admitting defeat in an encounter. I might so easily have been slain to–day; and it would have been simply and solely by a preconception: the preconception that Tondeur was the better swordsman.»
«It is still possible that he was,» said Blood.
«Then how came Ito run him through so easily?»
«How indeed, Peter?» demanded Wolverstone, and the other half–dozen present echoed the question, whilst Hagthorpe enlarged upon the theme.
«The fact is the rascal's reputation for swordsmanship rested solely upon his own boasting. It's the source of many a reputation.» And there the discussion was allowed to drop.
In the morning Captain Blood suggested that they should pay a visit to Monsieur d'Ogeron, and render their account to him of what had taken place. As Governor of Tortuga, some formal explanation was due to him, even though his acquaintance with the combatants should render it almost unnecessary. Jeremy, at all times ready to visit the Governor's house on any pretext, was this morning more than willing, the events having set about him a heroic halo.
As they were being rowed ashore Captain Blood observed that the Cygne was gone from her moorings in the bay, which would mean, Jeremy opined with faint interest, that Monsieur de Mercceur had at last departed from Tortuga.
The little Governor gave them a very friendly welcome. He had heard of the affair at The King of France. They need not trouble themselves with any explanations. No official cognizance would be taken of the matter. He knew but too well the causes which had led to it.
«Had things gone otherwise,» he said quite frankly, «it would have been different. Knowing who would be the aggressor — as I warned you, Monsieur Pitt — I must have taken some action against Tondeur, and I might have had to call upon you, Captain Blood, to assist me. Order must be preserved even in such a colony as this. But as it is, why, the affair could not have had a more fortunate conclusion. You have made me very happy, Monsieur Pitt.»
This augured so well that Mr. Pitt presently asked leave to pay his homage to Mademoiselle Lucienne.
Monsieur d'Ogeron looked at him as if surprised by the request.
«Lucienne? But Lucienne has gone. She sailed for France this morning on the Cygne with her husband.»
«Her…her husband?» echoed Jeremy, with a sudden feeling of nausea.
«Monsieur de Mercoeur. Did I not tell you she was promised? They were married at cock–crow by Father Benoit. That is why I say you have made me very happy, Monsieur Pitt. Until Captain Tondeur was laid by the heels I dared not permit this thing to take place. Remembering Levasseur, I could not allow Lucienne to depart before. Like Levasseur, it is certain that Tondeur would have followed, and on the high seas would have dared that which he dared not here in Tortuga.»
«Therefore,» said Captain Blood, in his driest tone, «you set the other two by the ears, so that whilst they were quarrelling over the bone, the third dog might make off with it. That, Monsieur d'Ogeron, was more shrewd than friendly.»
«You are angry with me, Captain!» Monsieur d'Ogeron appeared genuinely distressed. «But I had to think of my child, and besides, I had no doubt of the issue. This dear Monsieur Pitt could not fail to prevail against a man like Tondeur.»
«This dear Monsieur Pitt,» said Captain Blood, «might very easily have lost his life for love of your daughter so as to forward your marriage schemes for her. There's a pretty irony in the thought.» He linked his arm through that of his young shipmaster, who stood there white and hang–dog. «You see, Jerry, the pitfalls injudicious loving can dig for a man. Let's be going, my lad. Good day to you, Monsieur d'Ogeron.»
He almost dragged the boy away. Then, because he was very angry, he paused when they had reached the door, and there was an unpleasant smile on the face he turned to the Governor.
«Why do you suppose that I should not do on Mr. Pitt's behalf what you feared Tondeur might do? Why shouldn't I go after the Cygne and capture your daughter for my shipmaster?»
«My God!» ejaculated Monsieur d'Ogeron, suddenly appalled by the prospect of so merited a vengeance. «You would never do that!»
«No, I would not. But do you know why?»
«Because I've trusted you. Because you are a man of honour.»
«Honour! Bah! I'm just a pirate. It's because I don't think she is good enough for Mr. Pitt, as I told him from the outset, and as I hope he now believes.»
That was all the revenge he took of Monsieur d'Ogeron for his foxy part in the affair. Having taken it, he departed, and the stricken Jeremy suffered himself to be led away.
But by the time they had reached the mole the lads numbness had given place to rage. He had been duped and tricked, his very life had been put in pawn to serve the schemes of those others, and somebody must pay.
«If ever I meet Monsieur de Mercceur…» he was raging.
«You'll do fine things,» the Captain mocked him. «I'll serve him as I served that dog Tondeur.» And now Captain Blood stood still that he might laugh.
«Oh! It's the fine swordsman ye've become all at once, Jerry. The very butcher of a silk button. I'd best be disillusioning you, my young Tybalt, before ye swagger into mischief.»
«Disillusioning me?» Jeremy stared at him, a frown darkening that fair, honest face. «Did I, or did I not, lay low that French duellist yesterday?»
And Blood, still laughing, answered him: «You did not!»
«I did not? I did not?» Jeremy set his arms akimbo. «Well ye tell me, then, who did?»
«I did,» said the Captain, and on that grew serious. «I did it with the bright bottom of a brass candlestick. I flashed enough reflected sunlight into his eyes to blind him whilst you were doing the business.»
He saw Jeremy turn pale, and added the reminder: «He would have murdered you else.» Then there was a whimsical twist of his firm lips, a queer flash from his vivid eyes, and he added on a note of conscious pride: «I am Captain Blood.»