the return of tarzan-第12节
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you again I shall not be so lenient。〃
Rokoff picked up a pen and commenced to write。
〃See that you omit no detail； and that you mention every
name；〃 cautioned Tarzan。
Presently there was a knock at the door。 〃Enter；〃 said Tarzan。
A dapper young man came in。 〃I am from the MATIN；〃
he announced。 〃I understand that Monsieur Rokoff has
a story for me。〃
〃Then you are mistaken； monsieur；〃 replied Tarzan。
〃You have no story for publication； have you； my dear Nikolas。〃
Rokoff looked up from his writing with an ugly scowl
upon his face。
〃No；〃 he growled； 〃I have no story for publicationnow。〃
〃Nor ever； my dear Nikolas；〃 and the reporter did not see
the nasty light in the ape…man's eye； but Nikolas Rokoff did。
〃Nor ever；〃 he repeated hastily。
〃It is too bad that monsieur has been troubled；〃 said Tarzan；
turning to the newspaper man。 〃I bid monsieur good
evening；〃 and he bowed the dapper young man out of the
room； and closed the door in his face。
An hour later Tarzan； with a rather bulky manuscript in his
coat pocket； turned at the door leading from Rokoff's room。
〃Were I you I should leave France；〃 he said； 〃for sooner
or later I shall find an excuse to kill you that will not in
any way compromise your sister。〃
Chapter 6
A Duel
D'Arnot was asleep when Tarzan entered their apartments
after leaving Rokoff's。 Tarzan did not disturb him； but
the following morning he narrated the happenings of
the previous evening； omitting not a single detail。
〃What a fool I have been；〃 he concluded。 〃De Coude and
his wife were both my friends。 How have I returned their
friendship？ Barely did I escape murdering the count。 I have
cast a stigma on the name of a good woman。 It is very probable
that I have broken up a happy home。〃
〃Do you love Olga de Coude？〃 asked D'Arnot。
〃Were I not positive that she does not love me I could not
answer your question； Paul； but without disloyalty to her I
tell you that I do not love her； nor does she love me。 For an
instant we were the victims of a sudden madnessit was not
loveand it would have left us； unharmed； as suddenly as
it had come upon us even though De Coude had not returned。
As you know； I have had little experience of women。 Olga
de Coude is very beautiful； that； and the dim light and the
seductive surroundings； and the appeal of the defenseless for
protection； might have been resisted by a more civilized
man； but my civilization is not even skin deepit does not go
deeper than my clothes。
〃Paris is no place for me。 I will but continue to stumble
into more and more serious pitfalls。 The man…made
restrictions are irksome。 I feel always that I am a prisoner。
I cannot endure it； my friend； and so I think that I shall go
back to my own jungle； and lead the life that God intended
that I should lead when He put me there。〃
〃Do not take it so to heart； Jean；〃 responded D'Arnot。
〃You have acquitted yourself much better than most
‘civilized' men would have under similar circumstances。
As to leaving Paris at this time； I rather think that
Raoul de Coude may be expected to have something to say
on that subject before long。〃
Nor was D'Arnot mistaken。 A week later on Monsieur Flaubert
was announced about eleven in the morning； as D'Arnot and
Tarzan were breakfasting。 Monsieur Flaubert was an
impressively polite gentleman。 With many low bows he delivered
Monsieur le Count de Coude's challenge to Monsieur Tarzan。
Would monsieur be so very kind as to arrange to have
a friend meet Monsieur Flaubert at as early an hour as
convenient； that the details might be arranged to the mutual
satisfaction of all concerned？
Certainly。 Monsieur Tarzan would be delighted to place
his interests unreservedly in the hands of his friend；
Lieutenant D'Arnot。 And so it was arranged that D'Arnot
was to call on Monsieur Flaubert at two that afternoon；
and the polite Monsieur Flaubert； with many bows； left them。
When they were again alone D'Arnot looked quizzically at Tarzan。
〃Well？〃 he said。
〃Now to my sins I must add murder； or else myself be killed；〃
said Tarzan。 〃I am progressing rapidly in the ways of
my civilized brothers。〃
〃What weapons shall you select？〃 asked D'Arnot。
〃De Coude is accredited with being a master with the sword；
and a splendid shot。〃
〃I might then choose poisoned arrows at twenty paces；
or spears at the same distance；〃 laughed Tarzan。
〃Make it pistols； Paul。〃
〃He will kill you； Jean。〃
〃I have no doubt of it；〃 replied Tarzan。 〃I must die some day。〃
〃We had better make it swords；〃 said D'Arnot。 〃He will be
satisfied with wounding you； and there is less danger of a
mortal wound。〃
〃Pistols；〃 said Tarzan； with finality。
D'Arnot tried to argue him out of it； but without avail；
so pistols it was。
D'Arnot returned from his conference with Monsieur Flaubert
shortly after four。
〃It is all arranged；〃 he said。 〃Everything is satisfactory。
Tomorrow morning at daylightthere is a secluded spot on
the road not far from Etamps。 For some personal reason
Monsieur Flaubert preferred it。 I did not demur。〃
〃Good！〃 was Tarzan's only comment。 He did not refer to
the matter again even indirectly。 That night he wrote several
letters before he retired。 After sealing and addressing them
he placed them all in an envelope addressed to D'Arnot。
As he undressed D'Arnot heard him humming a music…hall ditty。
The Frenchman swore under his breath。 He was very unhappy；
for he was positive that when the sun rose the next
morning it would look down upon a dead Tarzan。 It grated
upon him to see Tarzan so unconcerned。
〃This is a most uncivilized hour for people to kill each
other；〃 remarked the ape…man when he had been routed out of
a comfortable bed in the blackness of the early morning hours。
He had slept well； and so it seemed that his head scarcely
touched the pillow ere his man deferentially aroused him。
His remark was addressed to D'Arnot； who stood fully
dressed in the doorway of Tarzan's bedroom。
D'Arnot had scarcely slept at all during the night。 He was
nervous； and therefore inclined to be irritable。
〃I presume you slept like a baby all night；〃 he said。
Tarzan laughed。 〃From your tone； Paul； I infer that you
rather harbor the fact against me。 I could not help it； really。〃
〃No； Jean； it is not that；〃 replied D'Arnot； himself
smiling。 〃But you take the entire matter with such
infernal indifferenceit is exasperating。 One would
think that you were going out to shoot at a target；
rather than to face one of the best shots in France。〃
Tarzan shrugged his shoulders。 〃I am going out to expiate
a great wrong； Paul。 A very necessary feature of the expiation
is the marksmanship of my opponent。 Wherefore； then； should
I be dissatisfied？ Have you not yourself told me that Count
de Coude is a splendid marksman？〃
〃You mean that you hope to be killed？〃 exclaimed D'Arnot；
in horror。
〃I cannot say that I hope to be； but you must admit that
there is little reason to believe that I shall not be killed。〃
Had D'Arnot known the thing that was in the ape…man's
mindthat had been in his mind almost from the first
intimation that De Coude would call him to account on the
field of honorhe would have been even more horrified than
he was。
In silence they entered D'Arnot's great car； and in
similar silence they sped over the dim road that leads
to Etamps。 Each man was occupied with his own thoughts。
D'Arnot's were very mournful； for he was genuinely fond
of Tarzan。 The great friendship which had sprung up between
these two men whose lives and training had been so widely
different had but been strengthened by association； for
they were both men to whom the same high ideals of manhood；
of personal courage； and of honor appealed with equal force。
They could understand one another； and each could be proud
of the friendship of the other。
Tarzan of the Apes was wrapped in thoughts of the past；
pleasant memories of the happier occasions of his lost
jungle life。 He recalled the countless boyhood hours that
he had spent cross…legged upon the table in his dead father's
cabin； his little brown body bent over one of the fascinating
picture books from which； unaided； he had gleaned the secret
of the printed language long before the sounds of
human speech fell upon his ears。 A smile of contentment
softened his strong face as he thought of that day of days
that he had had alone with Jane Porter in the heart of his
primeval forest。
Presently his reminiscences were broken in upon by the
stopping of the carthey were at their destination。
Tarzan's mind returned to the affairs of the moment。
He knew that he was about to die； but there was no fear of
death in him。 To a denizen of the cruel jung
