Under the shifting moonlight we fell to work on the dripping heath. We were not unevenly matched considering the time and the circumstances. I had in my favour youth, an active life, and a wrist of steel. At least I was a strong swordsman, even though I could not pretend to anything like the mastery of the weapon which he possessed. To some extent his superior skill was neutralized by the dim light. He had been used to win his fights as much with his head as with his hand, to read his opponent's intention in advance from the eyes while he concealed his own; but the darkness, combined with my wooden face, made this impossible now. Every turn and trick of the game he knew, but the shifting shine and shadow disconcerted him. More than once I heard him curse softly when at a critical moment the scudding clouds drifted across the moon in time to save me. He had the better of me throughout, but somehow I blundered through without letting him find the chance for which he looked. I kept my head, and parried by sheer luck his brilliant lunges. I broke ground and won free--if but barely--from his incessant attack. More than once he pricked me. A high thrust which I diverted too late with the parade of tierce drew blood freely. He fleshed me again on the riposte by a one-two feint in tierce and a thrust in carte. "'L'art de donner et de ne pas recevoir,'" he quoted, as he parried my counter-thrust with debonair ease. Try as I would I could not get behind that wonderful guard of his. It was easy, graceful, careless almost, but it was sure. His point was a gleaming flash of light, but it never wavered from my body line. A darker cloud obscured the moon, and by common consent we rested. "Three minutes for good-byes," said Volney, suggestively. "Oh, my friends need not order the hearse yet--at least for me. Of course, if it would be any convenience----" He laughed. "Faith, you improve on acquaintance, Mr. Montagu, like good wine or--to stick to the same colour--the taste of the lady's lips." I looked blackly at him. "Do you pretend----?" "Oh, I pretend nothing. Kiss and never tell, egad! Too bad they're not for you too, Montagu." "I see that Sir Robert Volney has added another accomplishment to his vices." "And that is----?" "He can couple a woman's name with the hint of a slanderous lie." Sir Robert turned to Creagh and waved a hand at me, shaking his head sorrowfully. "The country boor in evidence again. Curious how it will crop out. Ah, Mr. Montagu! The moon shines bright again. Shall we have the pleasure of renewing our little debate?" I nodded curtly. He stopped a moment to say: "You have a strong wrist and a prodigious good fence, Mr. Montagu, but if you will pardon a word of criticism I think your guard too high." "Y'are not here to instruct me, Sir Robert, but----"