He looked up irritated by the interruption which
Captain Blood's advent occasioned.
"M. le Baron," the latter greeted him. "I must speak frankly; and
you must suffer it. My men are on the point of mutiny."
M. de Rivarol considered him with a faint lift of the eyebrows.
"Captain Blood, I, too, will speak frankly; and you, too, must
suffer it. If there is a mutiny, you and your captains shall be
held personally responsible. The mistake you make is in assuming
with me the tone of an ally, whereas I have given you clearly to
understand from the first that you are simply in the position of
having accepted service under me. Your proper apprehension of
that fact will save the waste of a deal of words."
Blood contained himself with difficulty. One of these fine days,
he felt, that for the sake of humanity he must slit the comb of
this supercilious, arrogant cockerel.
"You may define our positions as you please," said he. "But I'll
remind you that the nature of a thing is not changed by the name
you give it. I am concerned with facts; chiefly with the fact
that we entered into definite articles with you.
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