Part 22 (1/2)
”You divine the motive of my visit, monsieur, I fancy?”
”What! do I divine it? Why, I have been waiting for you, with some impatience. But I said to myself: 'That gentleman will not come very early, because, on the day after his wedding---- ' Ha! ha! I don't think I need say any more.”
”It has occurred to me, monsieur, that our duel might as well take place without witnesses. The subject of our dispute is such a delicate one!
There are some things which one doesn't like to make a noise about; for the world, which is unkind, as a general rule, sometimes makes a mountain out of what was----”
”Only a mouse--_parturiens montes._ I am entirely of your opinion.--Ah!
I have my collar.”
”Then, monsieur, you consent to fight with no other witness than my servant?”
”Very gladly; I have already fought that way more than once.”
”Thinking that you might have no weapons, monsieur, I brought two swords and a pair of pistols with me.”
”You did very well; for, as you foresaw, I am without weapons at this moment. Ah! I used to have some beautiful ones in the old days! My pistols were made by Devisme; I could bring down a fly at fifty yards; but I had to let them go. What would you have? _Deus dederat, Deus abstulit._--I will just put on my coat, and I am at your service.”
”This is a most extraordinary individual,” said Auguste Monleard to himself as he listened.
The Latin with which Cherami sprinkled his discourse, and his air of good-breeding, had modified the opinion he had formed of him; and he was not sorry to learn that he was not about to fight with a man devoid of breeding and education.
At last, Arthur came out from behind his screen, and saluted his adversary with all the ease of a man of the world, saying:
”Now I am at your service.”
”Very good, monsieur. Doubtless you are well acquainted with this quarter, this neighborhood. It is entirely unfamiliar to me. Is there any spot hereabout where we can fight comfortably--without having to travel a couple of leagues to Vincennes or the Bois de Boulogne?”
”Wait a moment, while I think. We could go behind the b.u.t.tes Saint-Chaumont; there are some quarries there, where no one would see us. But it's rather hard to get there in a carriage; and then, too, the ground's rather uneven, and sometimes there are some low-lived rascals prowling about. But, pardieu! we have just what we want, close at hand.
In the next street there's a large vacant lot, on which they're going to build, but the building isn't begun yet. No one ever pa.s.ses through that street; we shall be as retired as we should be in our own house.”
”But can we get into the lot?”
”Yes, indeed. On the street there's nothing but a board fence, and there's a gate in it. If there's anyone there, we'll say we are architects; that will make it all right.”
”And it's not far from here?”
”We shall be there in five minutes.”
”In that case, monsieur, let us go. We will let my cabriolet follow us.”
”That's right; and as we must avoid making a noise and attracting attention, we will fight with swords, if you choose.”
”With pleasure, monsieur.”
Monleard and Cherami went down the stairs together. Madame Louchard, who was standing at the hall-door, was very much puzzled when she saw her tenant leave the house with the fas.h.i.+onably dressed owner of the cabriolet; but she dared not ask him a question. Instead of turning toward the main street of Belleville, the two men took a street which ran behind the theatre of that suburb.
Walking side by side with the individual with whom he was to fight, Monleard, more and more amazed by his adversary's courteous manners and by his use of language which denoted familiarity with good society, said to him after a while:
”We are going to fight a duel, monsieur; that is a settled thing, which neither you nor I, I am sure, have any intention of avoiding.”
”I agree with you, monsieur.”