OR THE DESERT ISLAND. 75

«Do you think,” said he, “that I will ever degrade my-
self so far as to make use of your tools ?”

Indignation flushed the face of Philip Merville.

“Perhaps,” he replied in an ironical tone, “ your lord-
ship will not be long in discovering from experience
whether your dignity or my skill has the preference in this
part of the world.”

The count with a haughty air hurled to a distance the
saw and the hatchet, and with his knife resumed his task.

But this was a work of time and trouble. The knife,
itself unfit for such labour, could hardly be in more clumsy
hands. To add to his mortification, he saw Philip looking
on and laughing at his miserable workmanship.

The sight was enough to confuse him entirely, and in
the effervescence of his anger the knife slipped and cut his
fingers. He looked towards Philip, and beheld him laugh-
ing. Eixasperated beyond measure, he darted at him a
most furious glance ; while the other calmly but insolently
continued to stare at him. Unwilling to be longer the
subject of Philip’s malicious pleasure, which he seemed to
relish extremely, Charles redoubled his efforts, and buried
his knife so deeply in the wood that it was impossible for
him to withdraw it.

Merville laughed louder than ever; and the count, no