The detective stood closely against the door when he rapped upon it, and the moment it started to swing open in response to the summons he applied his strength against it so that it was flung inward with a force which nearly upset Count Jean de Cadillac, who appeared on the other side. And with the same gesture Nick forced himself across the threshold, followed instantly, of course, by Antoine Lafetre, who sought to close it again as quickly as possible.

But quick as he was, he was not soon enough to prevent the count from giving the signal of alarm, which Lafetre well knew would be heard by one or more of the guards, and which in a short time would bring a horde of men thundering at the door in their chief’s defense.

In that first pressure against the door when he partly opened it, Cadillac had recognized the presence of an enemy; it is doubtful if he did not at that instant also recognize Nick Carter; and even while he staggered back from the force of the blow which the weight of the door delivered against him, he placed a silver whistle to his lips and blew upon it.

But that was all. The door was closed and locked on the inside by Antoine, who withdrew the key, and then stood with his back against it, awaiting orders; and he was as entirely calm as the detective himself.

[209]

As Nick stepped into the center of the room and turned to confront the count, Bessie Harlan sprang, with a glad cry, from the embrasure of one of the windows, and almost threw herself into his arms. But she recoiled before she quite reached him, and shrank backward again with her hands to her eyes, for Cadillac had drawn a revolver from his pocket and was in the very act of aiming it at Nick Carter’s heart.

He was prevented from firing, however, for a gleam of steel shot through the air, and a light, quick blow descended upon the count’s wrist, knocking the weapon from his grasp to the floor, and Antoine said quietly:

“If monsieur le comte attempts to recover his weapon, I will spit him upon this rapier.”

Nick Carter laughed aloud. Then he turned to Bessie, who had now recovered somewhat; but she stood staring at him as if she could hardly believe her senses.

“I knew you would come to my rescue,” she said at last. “Thank God you are here!”

“Yes; I am here, Miss Harlan; very much here, as this double-dyed scoundrel shall soon discover,” replied Nick.

But the count had now also recovered some of his accustomed coolness. He had retreated to the opposite side of the room, so that he had placed a table between himself and the detective; and Nick turned again toward Bessie.

“Return to the window for a moment while I deal with this fellow,” said Nick to her; but Antoine stepped forward hastily.

[210]

“Ah! monsieur,” he said, “I have the key of the door in my possession, so that he cannot get out; and the men who are coming this way—neither can they enter. Then, afterward, there is another way out which the count does not suspect I know about, but which I will show to you. It is true that it leads through a part of the château, and that we will doubtless be obliged to fight, but it will not be like fighting a hundred men on the narrow stairway we have just ascended. And now, monsieur, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor, Antoine? What is it?”

“Permit me to fight with the count with the rapiers. See; I will give him mine—so!” and he tossed his own gleaming weapon upon the table in front of the count. “And now, you will let me have the use of yours? Is it not so? Yes! Ah, it would be child’s play for you to kill him—you, who have defeated me—Antoine Lafetre—as if I were a babe. It would not be an equal combat. Shall it be so? Yes. I thank you.”

“Go ahead, Antoine—if he will fight you. The mademoiselle and I will act as witnesses.”

Antoine turned, with Nick’s rapier in his grasp, and approached the table behind which the count still lingered.

“You are a dog,” he said quite calmly. “See! I treat you so!”

He withdrew a glove from his pocket, and after wadding it in his hand, threw it deliberately into the count’s face.

“It shall be fair play, count,” said Nick, “if you have the courage and the skill to fight with Antoine.”

[211]

But he need not have said it. At the blow of the glove, and because of a little, nervous laugh uttered by Bessie Harlan, the count seized the rapier from the table in front of him and leaped from his barricade into the center of the room.

In an instant the two were at it, and the fighting was rapid, furious, deadly.

Nick knew that such a pace could not last, and for a moment he felt a qualm lest Antoine should fall before the fury of the count’s attack. But he speedily discovered that there was no need for his misgivings, for the combat was as fatal as it was swift.

One lunge the count gave which seemed impossible for Antoine to parry; nor did he do so. But he stepped quickly backward beyond the reach of the point, and then lunged forward his own weapon, so that he put the point of it, to the guard, straight through his adversary’s breast, piercing his heart.

It was all done so quickly, and it was over so suddenly, that neither of the spectators had time to realize it; and the stroke was so deadly that the count sank back upon the floor with only a sigh. He never uttered another sound after that.

Bessie, when she saw him fall, ran quickly toward him and would have knelt beside ............