He made his movements short and quick, and relatively few, in evident fear of tiring himself at the start.

To a casual observer his fence was less graceful than his antagonist's, his lunges less daring, his parries less brilliant.

But as the old Prince watched him he saw that the point of his foil advanced and retreated in a perfectly straight line, and in parrying described the smallest circle possible, while his cold watery blue eye was fixed steadily upon his antagonist; old Saracinesca ground his teeth, for he saw that the man was a most accomplished swordsman.
Giovanni fought with the air of one who defended himself, without much thought of attack.

He did not bend so low as Del Ferice, his arm doubled a little before his lunge, and his foil occasionally made a wide circle in the air.

He seemed careless, but in strength and elasticity he was far superior to his enemy, and could perhaps afford to trust to these advantages, when a man like Del Ferice was obliged to employ his whole skill and science.
They had been fencing for more than two minutes, without any apparent result, when Giovanni seemed suddenly to change his tactics.