I am not the great reader of riddles."
"I didn't call you that. You're only a common little imp."
Shangois showed his teeth in a malicious smile.
"Why did you set me the riddle, then?" Ferrol continued, his eyes fixed
with apparent carelessness on the other's face.
"I thought she might have told you the answer."
"I never asked her the puzzle. Have you?"
By instinct, and from the notary's reputation, Ferrol knew that he was in
the presence of an honest man at least, and he waited most anxiously for
an answer, for his fate might hang on it.
"M'sieu', I have not seen her since yesterday morning."
"Well, what would you do if you found out about the five thousand
dollars?"
"I would see what happened to it; and afterwards I would see that a girl
of Bonaventure did not marry a Protestant, and a thief."
Ferrol rose from his chair, coughing a little. Walking over to Shangois,
he caught him by both ears and shook the shaggy head back and forth.
"You little scrap of hell," he said in a rage, "if you ever come within
fifty feet of me again I'll send you where you came from!"
Though Shangois's eyes bulged from his head, he answered:
"I was only ten feet away from you last night under the elm!"
Suddenly Ferrol's hand slipped down to Shangois's throat.
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