as for the address, I never knew it...! I reflected. 'That,' I said,
'I am unable to do, for special reasons.' 'Aha!' he said, 'reasons that
will prevent our fighting him, I suppose? 'On the contrary,' I said. 'I
will convey your request to him; I may mention that I have heard he is
the best swordsman and pistol-shot in Europe. Good-night!' I wished to
give them something to dream of, you understand.... Patience, my dear!
Patience! I was, coming to you, but I thought I would let them sleep
on it--there was plenty of time! But yesterday morning I came into the
Place, and there he was on the bench, with a big dog. I declare to you
he blushed like a young girl. 'Sir,' he said, 'I was hoping to meet
you; last evening I made a great disturbance. I took an unpardonable
liberty'--and he put in my hand an envelope. My friend, what do you
suppose it contained--a pair of gloves! Senor Don Punctilioso, hein? He
was the devil, this friend of yours; he fascinated me with his gentle
eyes and his white moustachettes, his humility, his flames--poor man...!
I told him I had been asked to take him a challenge. 'If anything comes
of it,' I said, 'make use of me!' 'Is that so?' he said. 'I am most
grateful for your kind offer. Let me see--it is so long since I fought
a duel. The sooner it's over the better. Could you arrange to-morrow
morning? Weapons? Yes; let them choose.' You see, my friend, there was
no hanging back here; nous voila en train."

Jules took out his watch. "I have sixteen minutes. It is lucky for you
that you were away yesterday, or you would be in my shoes now. I fixed
the place, right hand of the road to Roquebrune, just by the railway
cutting, and the time--five-thirty of the morning. It was arranged that
I should call for him. Disgusting hour; I have not been up so early
since I fought Jacques Tirbaut in '85. At five o'clock I found him ready
and drinking tea with rum in it--singular man! he made me have some too,
brrr! He was shaved, and dressed in that old frock-coat. His great dog
jumped into the carriage, but he bade her get out, took her paws on his
shoulders, and whispered in her ear some Italian words; a charm, hein!
and back she went, the tail between the legs. We drove slowly, so as not
to shake his arm. He was more gay than I. All the way he talked to me of
you: how kind you were! how good you had been to him! 'You do not speak
of yourself!' I said. 'Have you no friends, nothing to say? Sometimes an
accident