'Who are you, to set your wills up against mine? Let him go, Toussac!
Take your thumb from his chin! I won't have it done, I tell you!'
Then, as he saw by the inflexible faces of his companions that
blustering would not help him, he turned suddenly to tones of entreaty.
'See, now! I'll make you a promise!' said he. 'Listen to me, Lucien!
Let me examine him! If he is a police spy he shall die! You may have
him then, Toussac. But if he is only a harmless traveller, who has
blundered in here by an evil chance, and who has been led by a foolish
curiosity to inquire into our business, then you will leave him to me.'
You will observe that from the beginning of this affair I had never once
opened my mouth, nor said a word in my defence, which made me mightily
pleased with myself afterwards, though my silence came rather from pride
than from courage. To lose life and self-respect together was more than
I could face. But now, at this appeal from my advocate, I turned my
eyes from the monster who held me to the other who condemned me.
The brutality of the one alarmed me less than the self-interested
attitude of the other, for a man is never so dangerous as when he is
afraid, and of all judges the judge who has cause to fear you is the
most inflexible.
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