Romances of Alexandre Dumas (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: III. HOW, WITHOUT THE MOOR'S ASSISTANCE, AGNOE DE MAULEON FOUND COIMBEA AND THE PALACE OF DON FREDERIC, MASTER OF ST. JAMES. Agenor, furious at what he had heard, and that which his squire repeated to him, was for obtaining instantly by force that which the Moor had refused to courtesy. But when he attempted to spur on his steed in pursuit of the insolent Saracen, the poor animal showed so little disposition to second his master's wishes that the knight was obliged to pause upon the steep and stony ascent referred to elsewhere. The rear-guard of the Moor observed the two Frenchmen's movements, and looked about at intervals to avoid being surprised. " Messire Age"nor," cried Musaron, alarmed at this demonstration, although the weariness of the knight's steed removed all possible chance of danger in overtaking the party, " Messire Agandior, did I not tell you that this Moor did not understand French, and have I not confessed to you, that though I was scandalized even as you yourself are by his silence, the idea of questioning him in Spanish did not occur to me until it was too late to put it into execution 1 It is not he who is at fault, but I who did not have this happy idea until too late. Besides," he added, seeing that the knight was obliged to halt, " we are alone, and your horse is exhausted." Mauleon shook his head. "All well enough," he said. "But this Moor did not behave as was to be expected. He may not have understood French, but in every country in the world the universal language of signs is comprehended. And in pronouncing the word Coimbra you pointed alternately to the two towns, and he must have understood that you were asking the way. I cannot overtake this insolent Moor at present, but by the Blood of Our Saviour which cries out for vengeance against...