"'Do not draw your sword, but give me your purse, seigneur; that will be the quickest way.' "'My purse!' I cried. 'Ah! do you expect to obtain it without striking a blow? I propose to kill you instead of giving you my money.' "As I spoke, I drew my sword and expected to transfix the robber with ease. But the rascal must be a powerful hand at fence. With two blows of a weapon which he held, he shattered mine; then, throwing me to the ground, he snatched my purse from my belt! Vive Dieu! my purse, which contained two hundred gold pieces! Ah! the gallows bird!--And it was all done so dexterously and so quickly that I was hardly on the ground when it was all over; no purse, no robber--Giovanni had disappeared!--Then it was that I began to shout imprecations, to relieve myself a little. I am not wounded, it is true; but to be beaten and robbed like that by that bandit! It is enough to make a man damn himself!" The young men were stupefied by what they had heard. Léodgard alone sprang to his feet, crying: "Damnation! I will not let this opportunity escape. It was on the right-hand side of the road, beyond the bridge, that you were attacked, you said, Montrevert, did you not? It was on the path leading to Vincennes, then?" "Yes; but what do you mean to do, Léodgard?" "To avenge you, or rather to avenge us both; for I, like yourself, have been beaten and stripped by Giovanni! But this time I will kill him, or he will kill me!" "Can you think of such a thing, Léodgard? Pursue that brigand? Why, he must be far away before now! He will not have remained near the scene of his latest exploit." "Perhaps he will. However, I will go a long distance, if need be; but I will find that man!" "In that case," said La Valteline, "we will go with you; we will not allow you to run such a risk alone." "No, messieurs, I beg you, do not come with me; you will make success impossible. If the robber can be surprised, it must be done by cunning. He would hear the footsteps of several people, and that would put him on his guard. Once more, I say, let me make the attempt alone. One man against one man--that is enough; and if I meet my death in this undertaking, do not pity me; at this moment I care very little for life!" When he had finished speaking, Léodgard ran across the Pont-aux-Choux and disappeared in the darkness. "Léodgard! Léodgard!" called Beausseilly; "we will wait for you here; we will not move until you return.--I don't know if he heard me." "What the devil ever put that idea into his head?" "There is no sense in what he has undertaken to do," said Montrevert; "judging from the address and agility that this Giovanni shows in his attacks, it is inconceivable that he should allow himself to be taken by surprise."