Paul and His Dog Volume Ii Part 64

"I say! I hope it won't be to-day!" cried Chamoureau; "what do you say to a week from Sunday?"

"My dear Monsieur de Belleville, a duel is never postponed so long as that. It is already three o'clock; it is too late for a meeting to-day.

Fix it for to-morrow morning--at eight o'clock. We can meet in the little wood on your left as you go down toward Raincy--just behind the old keeper's house."

"Very good; and what weapons do you propose to fight with? You are the insulted party, and you have the right to choose."

"Yes, I know that well enough! I have the choice of weapons, and that is what embarra.s.ses me; that is the difficulty."

"Which are you strongest with?"

"I am strong at all; that is to say, I can defend myself. Ah! if we could fight with the quarter-staff--that's the thing I can handle!"

"Well, choose the quarter-staff," said Chamoureau; "it isn't so dangerous."

"It isn't accepted in fashionable society! I am reflecting; as the insulted party, I shall fire first."

"I know nothing about it."

"Yes, yes! hum! hum! you will fire first."

"Then I choose pistols."

"That's right," said Chamoureau; "then, if you miss your opponent, you can pa.s.s at once to the sword."

"Messieurs, will you please go to this Monsieur Edmond's house, you know where he lives?"

"Perfectly well."

"Remember what we have agreed upon--eight o'clock to-morrow."

"And if it can't be to-morrow," said Chamoureau, "why, so much the better! we won't go there again."

XXIV

THE BOATMAN

Paul Duronceray was true to his promise and appeared at Edmond Didier's not long after the latter and Freluchon had left the Tower.

"No one has come yet," said Edmond.

"Pardieu! I was certain that no one would have come," said Freluchon; "we have time to breakfast at our leisure."

"And while you are breakfasting," said Paul, after bidding his dog lie at his feet, "I will tell you something which will be of great interest to you; for it concerns this Thelenie, this woman who, I doubt not, is the original instigator of your duel to-day. And what I have to tell you also a.s.sures the happiness and the future welfare of that lovely girl, Agathe, who is to be your wife, Monsieur Edmond."

"What! it concerns Agathe, monsieur? Oh! speak! pray, speak!"

Paul thereupon told the two young men what he had told Honorine the night before. The reader may imagine the surprise and joy of Edmond when he learned that the girl whom he loved would be recognized at last by her father's family.

But suddenly his face clouded.

"Agathe is wealthy now," he said, "and I am no longer a suitable match for her!"

"Now you're beginning to talk nonsense!" exclaimed Freluchon. "When you determined to marry her, she had nothing, neither money nor a name; so she will know well enough now that it isn't her money you marry her for.--But, look you, the story monsieur has just told us proves this: that when women set about being wicked, they are ten times wickeder than men, because they put a refinement in it of which we are not capable. In my opinion, Madame Sainte-Suzanne has played her role very prettily in all this business."

"But Agathe must have learned all before this, from Madame Dalmont."

"I think so," said Paul, "but I have not yet dared to face her.--You must go with me, Monsieur Edmond; your presence will dispose her to indulgence, to forgiveness."

"Oh! don't be afraid, monsieur; there cannot be any resentment in her heart. Besides, you have told us that she saw you weep over her father's grave, and it must be that she still remembers that."

Twelve o'clock had struck, and no one had appeared on behalf of Monsieur Luminot. One hour, two hours more pa.s.sed. Edmond was beside himself with impatience, for that business kept him from going to Agathe. Paul Duronceray was no less impatient than he.

At last, Messieurs Chamoureau and Remplume appeared and announced themselves as Monsieur Luminot's seconds.

At sight of the little, lame man, who tried to give an imposing expression to his sour face, Freluchon could not restrain a burst of laughter, which greatly disconcerted the two gentlemen. Chamoureau did not know which way to turn, and Remplume began to cough as if he proposed to tear his throat to tatters. Edmond stood aside, and Paul waited for the visitors to speak.

At last the little, lame man stopped coughing and began thus:

"Messieurs! we come here as Monsieur Luminot's seconds, entrusted with full powers by him. It is a serious matter--very serious; nothing less than----"

"It's entirely useless to tell us what it's all about, for we know,"

said Freluchon; "I was present, I believe, and we have fully informed Monsieur Duronceray here."

"Yes," said Paul, "we know that Monsieur Luminot gratuitously slandered and insulted two ladies who deserve the respect and esteem of the whole world.--We a.s.sume that he was urged on to utter those abominable calumnies by certain persons, who desired to cause this quarrel."

"That is my opinion also!" said Chamoureau.

"It is mine--hum! hum!--mine also--hum! hum!--I will say more: I agree with you."

"In that case, messieurs, we are all agreed."

"That being so, we can go away!" observed Chamoureau.

"Oh, no! Wait a moment, Chamoureau.--Your Monsieur Luminot has received a blow; he richly deserved it, but he wants to fight and he is ent.i.tled to.--So you are his second, are you, Chamoureau?"

"They insisted on it. I didn't want to be. I hope you don't take it ill of me."

"Oh! not at all."

"It was my wife who insisted on it."

"She's a very nice person, is your wife; she does things well. But how does it happen that the other second isn't your intimate friend, the famous Baron von Schtapelmerg, who fought against the Turks?"

"And who won two hundred francs from me last night at ecarte!"