"
"Yes, yes," chimed in the lanky Von Deitz, who kept shifting the
position of his feet, like a stork.
Sanine smiled.
"Take them back? How can I do that? 'As uncaged bird is spoken word!'"
Too perplexed to reply, Tanaroff looked Sanine full in the face.
"What evil eyes he has!" thought the latter.
"This is no joking matter," began Tanaroff, looking flushed and angry.
"Are you prepared to retract your words, or are you not?"
Sanine at first was silent.
"What an utter idiot!" he thought, as he took a chair and sat down.
"Possibly I might be willing to retract my words in order to please and
pacify Sarudine," he began, speaking seriously, "the more so as I
attach not the slightest importance to them. But, in the first place,
Sarudine, being a fool, would not understand my motive, and, instead of
holding his tongue, would brag about it. In the second place, I
thoroughly dislike Sarudine, so that, under these circumstances, I
don't see that there is any sense in my retractation."
"Very well, then..." hissed Tanaroff through his teeth.
Von Deitz stared in amazement, and his long face turned yellow.
Pages:
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353