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The Laughing Man
ItwasarrangedfortheLaughingMantomeettheDufargesatmidnightinadesignatedsectionofthedenseforestsurroundingParis,andthere,bymoonlight,BlackWingwouldbesetfree.However,theDufargeshadnointentionofliberatingBlackWing,whomtheyfearedandloathed.Onthenightofthetransaction,theyleashedastand-intimberwolfforBlackWing,firstdyeingitslefthindfootsnowwhite,tolooklikeBlackWing’s.
ButthereweretwothingstheDufargeshadn’tcountedon:theLaughingMan’ssentimentalityandhiscommandofthetimber-wolflanguage.AssoonashehadallowedDufarge’sdaughtertotiehimwithbarbedwiretoatree,theLaughingManfeltcalledupontoraisehisbeautiful,melodiousvoiceinafewwordsoffarewelltohissupposedoldfriend.Thestand-in,afewmoonlityardsaway,wasimpressedbythestranger’scommandofthelanguageandlistenedpolitelyforamomenttothelast-minuteadvice,personalandprofessional,thattheLaughingManwasgivingout.Atlength,though,thestand-ingrewimpatientandbeganshiftinghisweightfrompawtopaw.Abruptly,andratherunpleasantly,heinterruptedtheLaughingManwiththeinformationthat,inthefirstplace,hisnamewasn’tDarkWingorBlackWingorGrayLegsoranyofthatbusiness,itwasArmand,and,inthesecondplace,he’dneverbeentoChinainhislifeandhadn’ttheslightestintentionofgoingthere.
Properlyinfuriated,theLaughingManpushedoffhismaskwithhistongueandconfrontedtheDufargeswithhisnakedfacebymoonlight.Mlle.
