“O-oo, no, no! I did think Meestare Darleton very clever, but you are a perfect wondaire. You catch ze idea like ze flash of lightning. You try ze execution once, twice, three time—perhaps—and you have eet. Zen eet is only to make eet perfect and to combine eet with othaire work and othaire ideas. Three time this day you touch me by ze strategy. You work ze surprise. Twice I touch you in one way; but after that I touch you not in that way at all. I tried to do it, but you had learned ze lesson. I did not have to tell you how to protect yourself.” “He seemed to hold you pretty well, professor,” put in Morton. “_Oui! oui!_” cried L’Estrange, without hesitation. “He put me on ze mettle. Meestare Merriwell, let me make you ze greatest fencer in ze world. I can do eet.” Merry smilingly shook his head. “I am afraid I haven’t the time,” he said. “One year is all eet will take, at ze most—only one little year.” “Too long.” “Nine month.” “Still too long.” “Zen I try to do eet in six month!” desperately said the fencing master. “In six month I have you so you can toy with me—so you can beat me at my own game. I know how to teach you to do that. You doubt eet?” “Well, I don’t know about——” “Eet can be done. You know ze man who teach ze actor to act on ze stage? He make of him ze great actor, still perhaps ze teacher he cannot act at all. He know how eet should be done. I am better teacher than zat, for I can fence; but I know ze way to teach you more zan I can accomplish. You have ze physique, ze brain, ze nerve, ze heart, ze youth—everything. In six month I do it.” “But I could not think of giving six months of my time to such as acquirement.” “You make reputation and fortune if you follow eet up.” “And that is the very thing I could not do, professor.” “Why not? You take ze interest in ze amateur sport. You follow eet.” “Not all the time, professor. I have other business.” “You have money? You are reech?” “I am comfortably fixed; but I have business interests of such a nature that it would be folly for me to give six months over to the acquiring of skill in fencing.” “What your business?” “Mining.” “O-oo; you have ze mine?” “Yes.” “Where?” “One in Arizona and one in Mexico. I must soon look after those mines. I have been away from them a long time. All reports have been favorable, but a great company is soon to begin building a railroad in Mexico that will open up the country in which my mine is located. The mine is rich enough to enable me to work it and pack ore a great distance. When the railroad is completed I shall have one of the best paying mines on this continent. You will see from this explanation that I am not in a position to spend months in acquiring perfection in the art of fencing, and that it would be of little advantage to me in case I did acquire such a degree of skill.” L’Estrange looked disappointed. “I thought you were ze reech gentleman of leisure,” he explained.