"I agree with you; but Léodgard is intensely excited! He has gambled away all that he possessed--even more. Life has little attraction for him at this moment! Faith! if he meets Giovanni, I fancy that the villain will not come off so cheaply." "Pardieu!" said Sénange, half rising; "you remind me that the handsome cloak which the count is wearing is my property now, as I won it from him a moment ago at dice. I ought not to have let him go off with it!" "Ah! Sénange, you are a very pitiless creditor!" "Look you, if he meets Giovanni, the latter will be the victor, in my opinion; and as he will not find an obolus on Léodgard, he will take his cloak. Would it not be better that I should have it than that brigand?" "Listen, messieurs! don't you hear a noise?" "No, nothing." "Oh! how the time drags! I wish Léodgard would come back." Ten minutes passed, and with each minute the young men became more anxious; they no longer laughed, they even ceased to talk, for they listened with all their ears. "Here comes the day," muttered Montrevert, "and Léodgard does not return! I begin to tremble lest he has been the victim of his own boldness." "Messieurs," said La Valteline, "if he does not return in five minutes, we must go in search of him." "Yes, yes!" "Wait--I hear footsteps." "Bah! it's a peasant going to market; look--you can make her out now on the bridge." "True; the time for thieves to be abroad has passed." "Poor Léodgard!" "Messieurs, see that man walking so fast across the bridge. Ah! this time it is he! it is our friend!" "Victory! it must be that he has carried the day!" All the young men ran to meet Léodgard, for it was really he who was approaching. As they drew near him they were struck by his pallor and by the sinister gleam of his eyes, which avoided theirs. "Well, comte, did you win the fight?" "Or did you fail to find the brigand?" "Oh! messieurs, they fought; for, see, Léodgard has blood on his clothes!" "Ah! Giovanni has ceased to live!" "You are mistaken," murmured Léodgard, in an altered voice; "it is true that I fought with the brigand; I wounded him, for his blood spurted on me. But it seems that his wound was of trifling consequence, for it did not prevent him from running away, and it was impossible for me to overtake him! He disappeared behind the hedges, and I saw him no more." "Ah! so much the worse!" "What a pity!" "The poor count has nothing to show for his exploit.--Luckily, you are not wounded, are you?" "No, not at all." "That is the principal thing, for we were beginning to be very anxious about you!" "Messieurs, messieurs, it is broad daylight; let us hasten home, or we too shall be taken for robbers." "Yes, yes, let us go!" "Are not you coming with us, Léodgard?" "No, messieurs; I am in no hurry to return to Paris. This adventure, this fight, has tired me; the country air will do me good." "Au revoir, then!" "Au revoir!"