the count.'

"Before I could reply, the other man--the colonel--remarked in a
casual way that there was only one word to characterize my conduct.
Here I broke in--but, for a wonder, kept myself in hand.

"I said: 'This has gone far enough. Count le Moyne has rather
imprudent friends. Some one has played me and your principal a trick.
At all events, I am not the man.'

"'Monsieur,' said the colonel, 'so you still deny--'

"'Wait a little,' said I. 'I allow no man to doubt my word. But let us
be clear as to this. Am I to understand that the language now used to
me represents the instructions of the count?'

"By George! the colonel said, 'Yes.' They really believed me to be
lying. I had gotten past any desire to explain or contradict, and so I
replied that it was all damn nonsense, but that I had supposed French
gentlemen were on these occasions courteous.

"You should have seen the baron. He is as tall as I am, and must weigh
two hundred and fifty pounds. He got red and said that if it were not
for his principal's prior claim on me, he should himself at once call
me to account. I replied sweetly that need not interfere, for that,
after I had killed the count, I should be most glad to accommodate his
friend. He did seem a bit amazed."

V

I was about to comment on this queer story when Merton said:

"Pardon me, I must first tell you all; then you will kindly say what
you think of this amazing performance.

"The little colonel, who had the leanness and redness of a boiled
shrimp, now took up the talk, and this other idiot said: 'My friend
the baron will, no doubt, postpone the pleasure of meeting monsieur;
and now, as monsieur is no longer indisposed to satisfy our principal,
and, as we understand it, declines to explain or apologize,--in fact,
admits, by his inclination to meet our friend, what he seemed to
deny,--may we have the honor to know when monsieur's seconds will wait
on us? Here is my card.'

"The little man was posing beautifully. I laid his card on the table
and said, 'Be so good, gentlemen, as to understand that I have not
retracted my statement, but that if the count insists, as you do, that
I lie,--that, at least, is decent cause for a quarrel,--he can have
it.'

"The little man replied that the count could not do otherwise.

"'Very good,' said I.--No, don't interrupt this charming story, Mr.
Greville; let me go on. There is more of it and better.

"My colonel then said, 'We shall e