登陆注册
5170200000302

第302章

"M.de Wardes," said Buckingham, "one final word.I am about to fight you because I do not like you, -- because you have wounded me in ridiculing a certain devotional regard I have entertained, and one which I acknowledge that, at this moment, I still retain, and for which I would very willingly die.You are a bad and heartless man, M.de Wardes, and Iwill do my very utmost to take your life; for I feel assured that, if you survive this engagement, you will, in the future, work great mischief towards my friends.That is all I have to remark, M.de Wardes," concluded Buckingham, as he saluted him.

"And I, my lord, have only this to reply to you: I have not disliked you hitherto, but, since you give me such a character, I hate you, and will do all I possibly can to kill you; "and De Wardes saluted Buckingham.

Their swords crossed at the same moment, like two flashes of lightning on a dark night.The swords seemed to seek each other, guessed their position, and met.Both were practiced swordsmen, and the earlier passes were without any result.

The night was fast closing in, and it was so dark that they attacked and defended themselves almost instinctively.

Suddenly De Wardes felt his sword arrested, -- he had just touched Buckingham's shoulder.The duke's sword sunk as his arm was lowered.

"You are wounded, my lord," said De Wardes, drawing back a step or two.

"Yes, monsieur, but only slightly."

"Yet you quitted your guard."

"Only from the first effect of the cold steel, but I have recovered.Let us go on, if you please." And disengaging his sword with a sinister clashing of the blade, the duke wounded the marquis in the breast.

"A hit?" he said.

"No," cried De Wardes, not moving from his place.

"I beg your pardon, but observing that your shirt was stained ---- " said Buckingham.

"Well," said De Wardes furiously, "it is now your turn."And with a terrible lunge, he pierced Buckingham's arm, the sword passing between the two bones.Buckingham, feeling his right arm paralyzed, stretched out his left, seized his sword, which was about falling from his nerveless grasp, and before De Wardes could resume his guard, he thrust him through the breast.De Wardes tottered, his knees gave way beneath him, and leaving his sword still fixed in the duke's arm, he fell into the water, which was soon crimsoned with a more genuine reflection than that which it had borrowed from the clouds.De Wardes was not dead; he felt the terrible danger that menaced him, for the sea rose fast.The duke, too, perceived the danger.With an effort and an exclamation of pain he tore out the blade which remained in his arm, and turning towards De Wardes said, "Are you dead, marquis?""No," replied De Wardes, in a voice choked by the blood which rushed from his lungs to his throat, "but very near it.""Well, what is to be done; can you walk?" said Buckingham, supporting him on his knee.

"Impossible," he replied.Then falling down again, said, "Call to your people, or I shall be drowned.""Halloa! boat there! quick, quick!"

The boat flew over the waves, but the sea rose faster than the boat could approach.Buckingham saw that De Wardes was on the point of being again covered by a wave; he passed his left arm, safe and unwounded, round his body and raised him up.The wave ascended to his waist but did not move him.The duke immediately began to carry his late antagonist towards the shore.He had hardly gone ten paces, when a second wave, rushing onwards higher, more furious and menacing than the former, struck him at the height of his chest, threw him over and buried him beneath the water.At the reflux, however, the duke and De Wardes were discovered lying on the strand.De Wardes had fainted.At this moment four of the duke's sailors, who comprehended the danger, threw themselves into the sea, and in a moment were close beside him.Their terror was extreme when they observed how their master became covered with blood, in proportion as the water with which it was impregnated, flowed towards his knees and feet; they wished to carry him.

"No, no," exclaimed the duke, "take the marquis on shore first.""Death to the Frenchman!" cried the English sullenly.

"Wretched knaves!" exclaimed the duke, drawing himself up with a haughty gesture, which sprinkled them with blood, "obey directly! M.de Wardes on shore! M.de Wardes's safety to be looked to first, or I will have you all hanged!"The boat had by this time reached them; the secretary and steward leaped into the sea, and approached the marquis, who no longer showed any sign of life.

"I commit him to your care, as you value your lives," said the duke."Take M.de Wardes on shore." They took him in their arms, and carried him to the dry sand, where the tide never rose so high.A few idlers and five or six fishermen had gathered on the shore, attracted by the strange spectacle of two men fighting with the water up to their knees.The fishermen, observing a group of men approaching carrying a wounded man, entered the sea until the water was up to their waists.The English transferred the wounded man to them, at the very moment the latter began to open his eyes again.The salt water and the fine sand had got into his wounds, and caused him the acutest pain.The duke's secretary drew out a purse filled with gold from his pocket, and handed it to the one among those present who appeared of most importance, saying: "From my master, his Grace the Duke of Buckingham, in order that every possible care may be taken of the Marquis de Wardes."Then, followed by those who had accompanied him, he returned to the boat, which Buckingham had been enabled to reach with the greatest difficulty, but only after he had seen De Wardes out of danger.By this time it was high tide;embroidered coats and silk sashes were lost; many hats, too, had been carried away by the waves.The flow of the tide had borne the duke's and De Wardes's clothes to the shore, and De Wardes was wrapped in the duke's doublet, under the belief that it was his own, when the fishermen carried him in their arms towards the town.

End

同类推荐
  • 勇卢闲诘

    勇卢闲诘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 送边补阙东归省觐

    送边补阙东归省觐

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诸法无行经

    诸法无行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 品茶要录

    品茶要录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 内府秘传经验女科

    内府秘传经验女科

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 守护之碧落天王

    守护之碧落天王

    吾纵横寰宇,喋血而生,武不输于人,文不显于世,试问天下英雄,谁敢与我争锋?敢问世间万道,谁敢与我论法?土鳖青年,梦魔缠身,千年守护,一朝回归
  • 阿麦从军(下)(全新修订版)

    阿麦从军(下)(全新修订版)

    阿麦出生在麦熟时节,为此差点被爹爹取名为“麦兜”。阿麦的父母从另一个时空穿越而来,她本想跟着父母过一番清净无争的田园生活,谁料年幼丧双亲,战场逢异事……卸去红妆,进入军营,注定与骚包将军邂逅,与沙场杀将相逢,从一个小兵,成长为一代“战神”。阿麦知道,她为民绝情,为国弃爱,自己所做的这一切,不止是为了找到朝夕八年的哥哥,问一句“为什么”。刀剑无影的战场上,无论谁是男主,谁是男配,她都是一身戎装,无一败绩。朝堂之上,他为君,她为臣。他俯视,她扬颌。谁说女子须得以娇躯求安生,生死之后,江山如画,她只想寻个故人,一同赏春景。
  • 绝代神主

    绝代神主

    (完本作品)苏家少主苏莫,觉醒出逆天武魂,却被认为是最低级的垃圾武魂,受尽屈辱……且看苏莫如何凭借着逆天武魂,一路崛起,一路逆袭……【正版vip读者群:570815745,普通读者群:703269794】PS:新书《我重生到了地球》,火热连载中。
  • 尾

    长篇小说《尾》以一个孩子担心自己长出尾巴的细节作为开头了。这个细节就是小说的引子,它将我们引向现实中那些莫名的恐惧感中。《尾》所写的两个家庭,是很普通的家庭,两个主人公也是很普通的人物,他们的家庭生活说不上多么温馨,也说不上多么悲哀。他们庸庸碌碌、平平淡淡,而大多数的普通家庭和普通人何尝不就是这样的生存状态?然而作者要告诉我们的是,哪怕在这庸庸碌碌、平平淡淡的生活里,仍然会有各种莫名的恐惧困扰着你。
  • 一世别殇

    一世别殇

    一生一世两双人,不负君恩终难全。一世情绝,越过忘川,下世所愿,不与君逢。
  • 廉吏传

    廉吏传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 成长的烦恼

    成长的烦恼

    良好的心理素质是小学生整体素质的重要组成部分,心理健康教育是提高学生心理素质,实施素质教育的重要内容。小学生正处于身心发展的关键期,随着生理心理发育和发展、社会阅历及思维方式的扩展和变化,他们将面临着学习、生活、人际交往、升学就业和自我意识等诸多方面的心理困惑及社会压力等问题。
  • 三十六计活学活用(13—24计)

    三十六计活学活用(13—24计)

    商场如战场,竞争即战争。在当今这个充满机遇与挑战,竞争激烈,关系复杂,优胜劣汰的世界,人人者渴望事业成功,家庭幸福,人生顺遂。但想要在官场、商场、家庭和社会上为自己争得一席之地,进而立于不败之地,没有一套高超的处世哲学与计谋是根本行不通的。三十六计是依据古代阴阳变化之理,以辩证法思想论述了战争中诸如虚实、劳逸、刚柔、攻防等关系,做到“数中有术,术中有数”。
  • 盛世良婚:废材空间师

    盛世良婚:废材空间师

    天地之间有三大主宰,以鲲为首,龙凤并列在次。传承人手执鲲玉,龙凤玉。叶笙妖从现代穿越而来,话说……一般的小说女主不都是凤吗?!好歹是男女主龙凤一对嘛!为什么她却变成了一条大鱼!某条龙放着自家的凤不理不睬,偏偏跑来纠缠某条鱼。初来乍到,她被世人当作废物,他助她一臂之力让她给自己洗白。“那被废物打败是不是比废物还废物?那你觉得我比废物还废物吗?”“我什么时候打败过你……”“可能是第一次见面的时候吧。”他跟她签下炼契,她生,他也生,她死,他也不能活着。且看他们如何闯天下乱风云,创下一代传奇!
  • 摄政王的金牌宠妃

    摄政王的金牌宠妃

    那年春天,中毒,扑倒了个王爷,到了秋天,儿女成双!儿女天生带毒,碎了心,断了肠!进王府偷解药,被抓,欠债要偿还!摄政王说,一而再,再而三,这债要细算!撒娇卖萌齐上阵,哄得摄政王心花怒放,横着走,无人敢拦!传说相府嫡女凤倾城彪悍凶猛,上的朝堂,下的厨房,杀得过强敌,斗的过渣爹与白眼狼!身后萌娃一对,闪亮登场!【阴谋】有人说凤倾城和长工有染,败坏世俗,该浸猪笼!第二日,那些说这话的人,不是聋了,就是哑了,要么就是断手断腿!谁干的?【陷害】说她凶悍似虎,苛待庶妹。凤倾城笑,扬手打的庶妹满脸桃花开,让她知道花儿为什么开得这样红!谁鼓掌!【谈判】摄政王问,如果,我们之间,只能活一个,你怎么选?凤倾城答,逍遥快活,我来!送死,你去!【看病】“王爷,你这病……”“王爷,你这病…”“很严重?”“嗯!”“多严重?”“不举!”“可有医?”“无…”“本王到不这么认为!”“王爷此言…”“本王对你很有感觉!”“可我是个男人!”“你不是男人,最多算得上不男不女,而本王,最喜不男不女【萌娃语录】“我娘是世界上最好的娘!”“我娘是世界上最威武霸气的娘!”“我娘是世界上最涩的娘!”一巴掌拍下,某女怒,“说错了!”萌娃歪着头,眨巴着大眼睛,“娘,可是爹是这么说的啊!”“你爹还说他政务繁忙,整日抽不开身,结果呢,还不是陪你娘窝在花架下,给你娘梳理头发!”【这是一个女汉子推到闷骚男的故事,亦是一个冷汉子反扑腹黑女的故事,这年头,流氓不可怕,就怕流氓有文化!】