Paul and His Dog Volume Ii Part 69

"'Madame, at eight o'clock this morning, Monsieur Edmond Didier and Monsieur Luminot are to fight a duel with pistols on the first island above the mill, below Gournay bridge. Your presence and Mademoiselle Agathe's would doubtless prevent this duel, which may have deplorable results. Consider what you will do.'"

"What we will do!" cried Agathe. "Oh! my dear love, let us go, let us run as fast as we can. Look! in ten minutes it will be eight o'clock!"

"Yes, yes; we will go at once! Gournay bridge--that isn't very far.--And on an island above the mill--yes, I have noticed some islands there, on which it seems impossible to land. Mon Dieu! if only we can find a boat--somebody to row us!"

"Yes, we shall find someone; heaven will help us, it will take pity on us! you see, somebody has warned us. This note comes from Monsieur Paul, of course--or from Monsieur Freluchon."

"Yes; and they won't let them fight before we arrive. Let us go!"

The young women hastily seized shawls and bonnets, and rushed from the garden, calling to Poucette, who asked them where they were going so, without breakfast:

"We are going to prevent them from fighting!"

While Honorine and Agathe hastened at the top of their speed toward the bank of the Marne, Edmond, accompanied by Freluchon and Paul, betook himself to the appointed place.

It was a pretty bit of woodland, a short quarter of a league from Ch.e.l.les. But it was not far from some houses, and a cabaret, established in what was once a keeper's house, was within two hundred yards.

"It is very pleasant here," said Freluchon; "this little clump of trees seems to invite one to a picnic rather than to a duel!"

"But for Monsieur Duronceray," said Edmond, "I should never have been able to find the place."

"Perhaps that is what your opponent hoped. But I noticed a little eating-house yonder, on the walls of which was the sign: _Lapins, sautez;_[F] the _saute_ is spelled with a z, which would seem to invite pa.s.sers-by to leap, because rabbit is served there. I believe that Chamoureau hopes that the meeting will end in a _gibelotte_--rabbit-stew.--And you, my good dog, good old Ami, why do you keep running so to the right and left?"

[F] Literally: Rabbits, leap; for _lapins saute,_ stewed rabbit.

"He wants to see if our men are coming, no doubt."

"No," said Paul, "Ami has something on his mind; he is restless, he is not comfortable here, he wants to go away; I can see that by his eyes.--Patience, good dog!--Ah! I see our adversaries; there's not a word to be said, they haven't kept us waiting."

Monsieur Luminot had adopted a military costume: he wore a long blue redingote, which fell nearly to his heels and was b.u.t.toned to the chin; black trousers and cravat, and a hat c.o.c.ked over one ear.

"Pardieu!" said Freluchon, "that fellow doesn't intend that any part of his costume shall offer a mark to his adversary; not even the slightest bit of a white collar to be seen! That is very prudent."

Monsieur Remplume wore his everyday clothes. Chamoureau was dressed all in black, and walked as if he were going to a funeral.

They exchanged salutations.

"Mon Dieu! Chamoureau! whom are you wearing mourning for so soon?" asked Freluchon, with a laugh. "I should say that you were in rather a hurry."

"I thought--it seemed to me--as it was a serious matter--However, Freluchon, I hope that you don't bear me any ill-will, and that you are convinced that I had no part in all this."

"Don't be alarmed; we are perfectly well aware that you don't count."

"Messieurs," said the little, lame man, approaching Edmond's seconds, "if Monsieur Edmond Didier chooses to apologize to Monsieur Luminot, he will agree to acknowledge satisfaction."

"We shall not communicate that proposition to Monsieur Edmond," replied Paul, "because we know that he would reject it with scorn!"

"Still, you might----"

"Enough of this! You have pistols, and we accept them. Allow me to examine them."

While Paul examined the weapons, Chamoureau drew his handkerchief, wiped his brow and held out his arms toward Freluchon, saying:

"Try to adjust this business, in heaven's name!"

"Let us alone, and go farther away."

"How many paces?" Paul asked the lame man.

"Twenty-five."

"That isn't enough! Forty paces!" cried Chamoureau.

"It is for Monsieur Luminot to decide."

"Call it thirty paces!" said Monsieur Luminot, with a dignified air.

"Bah!" muttered Freluchon with a smile; "I shall be glad to believe that they won't do each other much harm; and I will proceed to measure the paces accordingly."

The adversaries took their places; Freluchon had measured thirty paces which were fully equal to forty.

"Why, this duel is a joke!" said Edmond to his seconds.

"I suppose you are anxious to be killed in order to give Madame Chamoureau pleasure, eh? How clever that would be!--Come, Monsieur Luminot, you are to fire first, the third time that I clap my hands--that is the signal."

While Freluchon clapped his hands three times, Chamoureau cowered behind a tree. Monsieur Luminot fired, and his bullet lost itself in s.p.a.ce.

When he saw that his opponent was not hit, and that it was his turn to face the fire, he took a white handkerchief from his pocket and waved it in the air, to signify that he wished to parley.

"Monsieur," said Edmond, walking toward the former wine merchant, "are you willing to admit now that what you said with regard to Madame Dalmont and Mademoiselle Agathe was calumny pure and simple, and that those ladies deserve the esteem and respect of everybody?"

"Yes, monsieur, yes, with the greatest pleasure!" cried Luminot. "I admit it the more readily, as it is my individual opinion."

"We all admit it--hum! hum!--all!" added Monsieur Remplume.

"All!" shouted Chamoureau from behind his tree.

"In that case, messieurs," said Paul, "we consider ourselves fully satisfied, but on one condition; and that is that at five o'clock this afternoon you will be at Monsieur de Belleville's, and will there repeat what you have just said to us. You will be careful to be accompanied by all those ladies, who were the first to dare to make hateful remarks concerning Madame Dalmont and her young friend. The insult was public, and the reparation must be public as well! I deem it my duty to warn you that, in case you and your ladies should not keep this appointment, we shall renew this battle with all of you, messieurs; and that, in that event, it will be a duel to the death!"

"We will be there! we will be there, messieurs!" stammered Luminot and Remplume.

"I am going there now," said Chamoureau in a strangling voice.

"Until this evening then, messieurs, at five o'clock, at Monsieur de Belleville's!"

"You ought to know the age of that tree, Chamoureau!"

"Now, messieurs, let us go," said Paul. "Let us hasten to the ladies, for my dog's behavior troubles me, I am afraid that something has gone wrong."