ll not say that to him?"

"Reassure yourself; I tell you to salve your conscience."

"Very well; then you will fight?"

"That is why I have remained here, at any rate."

"What weapons?"

"That is not our affair, my lord."

"What! not our affair?"

"No; M. de Barjols is the one insulted; the choice is his."

"Then you will accept whatever he proposes?"

"Not I, Sir John, but you in my name, since you do me the honor to act
as my second."

"And if he selects pistols, what is the distance to be and how will you
fight?"

"That is your affair, my lord, and not mine. I don't know how you do in
England, but in France the principals take no part in the arrangements.
That duty devolves upon the seconds; what they decide is well decided!"

"Then my arrangements will be satisfactory?"

"Perfectly so, my lord."

The Englishman bowed.

"What hour and what day?"

"Oh! as soon as possible; I have not seen my family for two years, and I
confess that I am in a hurry to greet them."

The Englishman looked at Roland with a certain wonder; he spoke with
such assurance, as if he were certain that he would not be killed. Just
then some one knocked at the door, and the voice of the innkeeper asked:
"May I come in?"

The young man replied affirmatively. The door opened and the landlord
entered, holding a card in his hand which he handed his guest. The young
man took the card and read: "Charles du Valensolle."

"From M. Alfred de Barjols," said the host.

"Very well!" exclaimed Roland. Then handing the card to the Englishman,
he said: "Here, this concerns you; it is unnecessary for me to see this
monsieur--since we are no longer citizens--M. de Valensolle is M. de
Barjols' second; you are mine. Arrange this affair between you. Only,"
added the young man, pressing the Englishman's hand and looking fixedly
at him, "see that it holds a chance of certain death for one of us.
Otherwise I shall complain that it has been bungled."

"Don't worry," said the Englishman, "I will act for you as for myself."

"Excellent! Go now, and when everything is arranged come back. I shall
not stir from here."

Sir John followed the innkeeper. Roland reseated himself, twirled his
chair back to its former position facing the table, took up his pen and
began to write.

When Sir John returned, Roland had written and sealed two letters and
was addressing a third. He signed to the Englishman to wait until he had
finished, that he might give