hall go and get my horse, then."

"And I, mine."

"Where shall we meet?"

"In the open plain: I know an admirable place."

"Shall we go together?"

"Why not?"

And both of them, on their way to the stables, passed beneath Madame's
windows, which were faintly lighted; a shadow could be seen behind the
lace curtains. "There is a woman," said De Wardes, smiling, "who does
not suspect that we are going to fight--to die, perhaps, on her
account."

CHAPTER XX.

THE COMBAT.

De Wardes and De Guiche selected their horses, and then saddled them
with their own hands, with holster saddles. De Guiche, having two pairs
of pistols, went to his apartments to get them; and after having loaded
them, gave the choice to De Wardes, who selected the pair he had made
use of twenty times before, the same, indeed, with which De Guiche had
seen him kill swallows flying. "You will not be surprised," he said, "if
I take every precaution. You know the weapons well, and, consequently, I
am only making the chances equal."

"Your remark was quite useless," replied De Guiche, "and you have done
no more than you are entitled to do."

"Now," said De Wardes, "I beg you to have the goodness to help me to
mount; for I still experience a little difficulty in doing so."

"In that case, we had better settle the matter on foot."

"No; once in the saddle, I shall be all right."

"Very good, then; so we will not speak of it again," said De Guiche, as
he assisted De Wardes to mount his horse.

"And now," continued the young man, "in our eagerness to kill each
other, we have neglected one circumstance."

"What is that?"

"That it is quite dark, and we shall almost be obliged to grope about,
in order to kill each other."

"Oh!" said De Guiche, "you are as anxious as I am that everything should
be done in proper order."

"Yes; but I do not wish people to say that you have assassinated me, any
more than, supposing I were to kill you, I should myself like to be
accused of such a crime."

"Did any one make a similar remark about your duel with the Duke of
Buckingham?" said De Guiche, "it took place precisely under the same
conditions as ours."

"Very true; but there was still light enough to see by; and we were up
to our middles, almost, in the water; besides, there were a good number
of spectators on shore, looking at us."

De Guiche reflected for a moment; and the thought which had already
presented itself to him became more con