’Haha!Youareright!AgentlemanIam!AndagentlemanI’lllive，andagentlemanI’lldie!It’smyintenttobeagentleman。
　　It’smygame。Deathofmysoul，IplayitoutwhereverIgo!’
　　Hechangedhisposturetoasittingone，cryingwithatriumphantair：
　　’HereIam!Seeme!Shakenoutofdestiny’sdice-boxintothecompanyofameresmuggler；——shutupwithapoorlittlecontrabandtrader，whosepapersarewrong，andwhomthepolicelayholdofbesides，forplacinghisboatasameansofgettingbeyondthefrontieratthedispositionofotherlittlepeoplewhosepapersarewrong；andheinstinctivelyrecognisesmyposition，evenbythislightandinthisplace。It’swelldone!ByHeaven!Iwin，howeverthegamegoes。’
　　Againhismoustachewentup，andhisnosecamedown。
　　’What’sthehournow？’heasked，withadryhotpalloruponhim，ratherdifficultofassociationwithmerriment。
　　’Alittlehalf-houraftermid-day。’
　　’Good!ThePresidentwillhaveagentlemanbeforehimsoon。Come!
　　ShallItellyouonwhataccusation？Itmustbenow，ornever，forIshallnotreturnhere。EitherIshallgofree，orIshallgotobemadereadyforshaving。Youknowwheretheykeeptherazor。’
　　SignorCavallettotookhiscigarettefrombetweenhispartedlips，andshowedmoremomentarydiscomfiturethanmighthavebeenexpected。
　　’Iama’——MonsieurRigaudstooduptosayit——’Iamacosmopolitangentleman。Iownnoparticularcountry。MyfatherwasSwiss——
　　CantondeVaud。MymotherwasFrenchbyblood，Englishbybirth。
　　ImyselfwasborninBelgium。Iamacitizenoftheworld。’
　　Histheatricalair，ashestoodwithonearmonhishipwithinthefoldsofhiscloak，togetherwithhismannerofdisregardinghiscompanionandaddressingtheoppositewallinstead，seemedtointimatethathewasrehearsingforthePresident，whoseexaminationhewasshortlytoundergo，ratherthantroublinghimselfmerelytoenlightensosmallapersonasJohnBaptistCavalletto。
　　’Callmefive-and-thirtyyearsofage。Ihaveseentheworld。I
　　havelivedhere，andlivedthere，andlivedlikeagentlemaneverywhere。Ihavebeentreatedandrespectedasagentlemanuniversally。IfyoutrytoprejudicemebymakingoutthatIhavelivedbymywits——howdoyourlawyerslive——yourpoliticians——yourintriguers——yourmenoftheExchange？’
　　Hekepthissmallsmoothhandinconstantrequisition，asifitwereawitnesstohisgentilitythathadoftendonehimgoodservicebefore。
　　’TwoyearsagoIcametoMarseilles。IadmitthatIwaspoor；I
　　hadbeenill。Whenyourlawyers，yourpoliticians，yourintriguers，yourmenoftheExchangefallill，andhavenotscrapedmoneytogether，theybecomepoor。IputupattheCrossofGold，——
　　keptthenbyMonsieurHenriBarronneau——sixty-fiveatleast，andinafailingstateofhealth。IhadlivedinthehousesomefourmonthswhenMonsieurHenriBarronneauhadthemisfortunetodie；——
　　atanyrate，notararemisfortune，that。Ithappenswithoutanyaidofmine，prettyoften。’
　　JohnBaptisthavingsmokedhiscigarettedowntohisfingers’ends，MonsieurRigaudhadthemagnanimitytothrowhimanother。Helightedthesecondattheashesofthefirst，andsmokedon，lookingsidewaysathiscompanion，who，preoccupiedwithhisowncase，hardlylookedathim。
　　’MonsieurBarronneauleftawidow。Shewastwo-and-twenty。Shehadgainedareputationforbeauty，andwhichisoftenanotherthingwasbeautiful。IcontinuedtoliveattheCrossofGold。
　　ImarriedMadameBarronneau。Itisnotformetosaywhethertherewasanygreatdisparityinsuchamatch。HereIstand，withthecontaminationofajailuponme；butitispossiblethatyoumaythinkmebettersuitedtoherthanherformerhusbandwas。’
　　Hehadacertainairofbeingahandsomeman——whichhewasnot；andacertainairofbeingawell-bredman——whichhewasnot。Itwasmereswaggerandchallenge；butinthisparticular，asinmanyothers，blusteringassertiongoesforproof，halfovertheworld。
　　’Beitasitmay，MadameBarronneauapprovedofme。Thatisnottoprejudiceme，Ihope？’
　　HiseyehappeningtolightuponJohnBaptistwiththisinquiry，thatlittlemanbrisklyshookhisheadinthenegative，andrepeatedinanargumentativetoneunderhisbreath，altro，altro，altro，altro——aninfinitenumberoftimes。
　　’Nowcamethedifficultiesofourposition。Iamproud。Isaynothingindefenceofpride，butIamproud。Itisalsomycharactertogovern。Ican’tsubmit；Imustgovern。
　　Unfortunately，thepropertyofMadameRigaudwassettleduponherself。Suchwastheinsaneactofherlatehusband。Moreunfortunatelystill，shehadrelations。Whenawife’srelationsinterposeagainstahusbandwhoisagentleman，whoisproud，andwhomustgovern，theconsequencesareinimicaltopeace。Therewasyetanothersourceofdifferencebetweenus。MadameRigaudwasunfortunatelyalittlevulgar。Isoughttoimprovehermannersandamelioratehergeneraltone；shesupportedinthislikewisebyherrelationsresentedmyendeavours。Quarrelsbegantoarisebetweenus；and，propagatedandexaggeratedbytheslandersoftherelationsofMadameRigaud，tobecomenotorioustotheneighbours。
　　IthasbeensaidthatItreatedMadameRigaudwithcruelty。Imayhavebeenseentoslapherface——nothingmore。Ihavealighthand；andifIhavebeenseenapparentlytocorrectMadameRigaudinthatmanner，Ihavedoneitalmostplayfully。’
　　IftheplayfulnessofMonsieurRigaudwereatallexpressedbyhissmileatthispoint，therelationsofMadameRigaudmighthavesaidthattheywouldhavemuchpreferredhiscorrectingthatunfortunatewomanseriously。
　　’Iamsensitiveandbrave。Idonotadvanceitasamerittobesensitiveandbrave，butitismycharacter。IfthemalerelationsofMadameRigaudhadputthemselvesforwardopenly，Ishouldhaveknownhowtodealwiththem。Theyknewthat，andtheirmachinationswereconductedinsecret；consequently，MadameRigaudandIwerebroughtintofrequentandunfortunatecollision。EvenwhenIwantedanylittlesumofmoneyformypersonalexpenses，I
　　couldnotobtainitwithoutcollision——andI，too，amanwhosecharacteritistogovern!Onenight，MadameRigaudandmyselfwerewalkingamicably——Imaysaylikelovers——onaheightoverhangingthesea。AnevilstaroccasionedMadameRigaudtoadverttoherrelations；Ireasonedwithheronthatsubject，andremonstratedonthewantofdutyanddevotionmanifestedinherallowingherselftobeinfluencedbytheirjealousanimositytowardsherhusband。MadameRigaudretorted；Iretorted；MadameRigaudgrewwarm；Igrewwarm，andprovokedher。Iadmitit。
　　Franknessisapartofmycharacter。Atlength，MadameRigaud，inanaccessoffurythatImusteverdeplore，threwherselfuponmewithscreamsofpassionnodoubtthosethatwereoverheardatsomedistance，toremyclothes，toremyhair，laceratedmyhands，trampledandtrodthedust，andfinallyleapedover，dashingherselftodeathupontherocksbelow。SuchisthetrainofincidentswhichmalicehaspervertedintomyendeavouringtoforcefromMadameRigaudarelinquishmentofherrights；and，onherpersistenceinarefusaltomaketheconcessionIrequired，strugglingwithher——assassinatingher!’
　　Hesteppedasidetotheledgewherethevineleavesyetlaystrewnabout，collectedtwoorthree，andstoodwipinghishandsuponthem，withhisbacktothelight。
　　’Well，’hedemandedafterasilence，’haveyounothingtosaytoallthat？’
　　’It’sugly，’returnedthelittleman，whohadrisen，andwasbrighteninghisknifeuponhisshoe，asheleanedanarmagainstthewall。
　　’Whatdoyoumean？’
　　JohnBaptistpolishedhisknifeinsilence。
　　’DoyoumeanthatIhavenotrepresentedthecasecorrectly？’
　　’Al-tro!’returnedJohnBaptist。Thewordwasanapologynow，andstoodfor’Oh，bynomeans!’
　　’Whatthen？’
　　’Presidentsandtribunalsaresoprejudiced。’
　　’Well，’criedtheother，uneasilyflingingtheendofhiscloakoverhisshoulderwithanoath，’letthemdotheirworst!’
　　’TrulyIthinktheywill，’murmuredJohnBaptisttohimself，ashebenthisheadtoputhisknifeinhissash。
　　Nothingmorewassaidoneitherside，thoughtheybothbeganwalkingtoandfro，andnecessarilycrossedateveryturn。
　　MonsieurRigaudsometimesstopped，asifheweregoingtoputhiscaseinanewlight，ormakesomeirateremonstrance；butSignorCavallettocontinuingtogoslowlytoandfroatagrotesquekindofjog-trotpacewithhiseyesturneddownward，nothingcameoftheseinclinings。
　　By-and-bythenoiseofthekeyinthelockarrestedthemboth。Thesoundofvoicessucceeded，andthetreadoffeet。Thedoorclashed，thevoicesandthefeetcameon，andtheprison-keeperslowlyascendedthestairs，followedbyaguardofsoldiers。
　　’Now，MonsieurRigaud，’saidhe，pausingforamomentatthegrate，withhiskeysinhishands，’havethegoodnesstocomeout。’
　　’Iamtodepartinstate，Isee？’
　　’Why，unlessyoudid，’returnedthejailer，’youmightdepartinsomanypiecesthatitwouldbedifficulttogetyoutogetheragain。
　　There’sacrowd，MonsieurRigaud，anditdoesn’tloveyou。’
　　Hepassedonoutofsight，andunlockedandunbarredalowdoorinthecornerofthechamber。’Now，’saidhe，asheopeneditandappearedwithin，’comeout。’
　　ThereisnosortofwhitenessinallthehuesunderthesunatalllikethewhitenessofMonsieurRigaud’sfaceasitwasthen。
　　Neitheristhereanyexpressionofthehumancountenanceatalllikethatexpressionineverylittlelineofwhichthefrightenedheartisseentobeat。Bothareconventionallycomparedwithdeath；butthedifferenceisthewholedeepgulfbetweenthestruggledone，andthefightatitsmostdesperateextremity。
　　Helightedanotherofhispapercigarsathiscompanion’s；putittightlybetweenhisteeth；coveredhisheadwithasoftslouchedhat；threwtheendofhiscloakoverhisshoulderagain；andwalkedoutintothesidegalleryonwhichthedooropened，withouttakinganyfurthernoticeofSignorCavalletto。Astothatlittlemanhimself，hiswholeattentionhadbecomeabsorbedingettingnearthedoorandlookingoutatit。Preciselyasabeastmightapproachtheopenedgateofhisdenandeyethefreedombeyond，hepassedthosefewmomentsinwatchingandpeering，untilthedoorwascloseduponhim。
　　Therewasanofficerincommandofthesoldiers；astout，serviceable，profoundlycalmman，withhisdrawnswordinhishand，smokingacigar。HeverybrieflydirectedtheplacingofMonsieurRigaudinthemidstoftheparty，puthimselfwithconsummateindifferenceattheirhead，gavetheword’march!’andsotheyallwentjinglingdownthestaircase。Thedoorclashed——thekeyturned——andarayofunusuallight，andabreathofunusualair，seemedtohavepassedthroughthejail，vanishinginatinywreathofsmokefromthecigar。
　　Still，inhiscaptivity，likealoweranimal——likesomeimpatientape，orrousedbearofthesmallerspecies——theprisoner，nowleftsolitary，hadjumpedupontheledge，tolosenoglimpseofthisdeparture。Asheyetstoodclaspingthegratewithbothhands，anuproarbrokeuponhishearing；yells，shrieks，oaths，threats，execrations，allcomprehendedinit，thoughasinastormnothingbutaragingswellofsounddistinctlyheard。