red him the assistance of his hand to rise. The
circumstance irritated instead of calming the general, and he rushed on
his adversary. But his opponent did not allow his guard to be broken.
He received him on his sword and three times the general drew back on
finding himself too closely engaged, and then returned to the charge. At
the third he fell again. They thought he slipped, as at first, and the
witnesses, seeing he did not move, approached and endeavored to raise
him, but the one who passed his arm around the body found it was
moistened with blood. The general, who had almost fainted, revived.
"Ah," said he, "they have sent some fencing-master to fight with me."
The president, without answering, approached the witness who held the
lantern, and raising his sleeve, showed him two wounds he had received
in his arm; then opening his coat, and unbuttoning his waistcoat,
displayed his side, pierced with a third wound. Still he had not even
uttered a sigh. General d'Epinay died five minutes after.'"

Franz read these last words in a voice so choked that they were hardly
audible, and then stopped, passing his hand over his eyes as if to
dispel a cloud; but after a moment's silence, he continued:--

"'The president went up the steps, after pushing his sword into his
cane; a track of blood on the snow marked his course. He had scarcely
arrived at the top when he heard a heavy splash in the water--it was the
general's body, which the witnesses had just thrown into the river after
ascertaining that he was dead. The general fell, then, in a loyal duel,
and not in ambush as it might have been reported. In proof of this we
have signed this paper to establish the truth of the facts, lest the
moment should arrive when either of the actors in this terrible scene
should be accused of premeditated murder or of infringement of the laws
of honor.

"'Signed, Beaurepaire, Deschamps, and Lecharpal.'"

When Franz had finished reading this account, so dreadful for a
son; when Valentine, pale with emotion, had wiped away a tear; when
Villefort, trembling, and crouched in a corner, had endeavored to lessen
the storm by supplicating glances at the implacable old man,--"Sir,"
said d'Epinay to Noirtier, "since you are well acquainted with all these
details, which are attested by honorable signatures,--since you appear
to take some interest in me, although you have only manifested
it hitherto by causing me sorrow, refuse me not one final
sati