Come into the barn."
"N-no,--devilish dark hole!"
"But--he'll see you here!"
"What if he does, can't g-get away from me,--better f-for it out
here--lighter."
"What do you mean? Better--for what?"
"The m-meeting."
"What--you mean to try and make him fight, do you?"
"Of course--try that way first. Give him a ch-chance, you know,
--c-can't shoot him down on s-sight."
"Ah-h!" said Mr. Chichester, very slowly, "you can't shoot him on
sight--of course you can't. I see."
"What? W-what d'ye see? Devilish dark hole in there!"
"All the better, Ronald,--think of his surprise when instead of
finding an armful of warm loveliness waiting for him in the shadows,
he finds the avenging brother! Come into the shadows, Ronald."
"All right,--yes, the shadow. Instead of the sister, the
b-brother--yes, by God!"
Now the flooring of the loft where Barnabas lay was full of wide
cracks and fissures, for the boards had warped by reason of many
years of rain and sun; thus, lying at full length, Barnabas saw
them below, Barrymaine leaning against the crumbling wall, while
Mr. Chichester stooped above the open duelling-case.
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