Chichester beheld his calm eye,
the prominence of his chin, and his grimly-smiling mouth, his eyes
widened suddenly, his clenched fingers opened, and he reached out
again towards the bell-rope. "Stop!" said Barnabas, and speaking,
levelled his pistol.
"Ah!" sighed Mr. Chichester, falling back a step, "you mean to
murder me, do you?"
"I said 'kill'--though yours is the better word, perhaps. Here are
two pistols, you will observe; one is for you and one for me. And we
are about to sit down--here, at the table, and do our very utmost to
murder each other. But first, I must trouble you to lock the door
yonder and bring me the key. Lock it, I say!"
Very slowly, and with his eyes fixed in a wide stare upon the
threatening muzzle of the weapon Barnabas held, Mr. Chichester,
crossed to the door, hesitated, turned the key, and drawing it from
the lock, stood with it balanced in his hand a moment, and then
tossed it towards Barnabas.
Now the key lay within a yard of Barnabas who, stepping forward,
made as though to reach down for it; but in that instant he glanced
up at Mr. Chichester under his brows, and in that instant also,
Mr.
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