er go right through and look in the
garden first."

This astonishing piece of information made the surgeon go off without
further parley. Lieut. D'Hubert regained his quarters nursing a hot and
uneasy indignation. He dreaded the chaff of his comrades almost as much
as the anger of his superiors. The truth was confoundedly grotesque and
embarrassing, even putting aside the irregularity of the combat itself,
which made it come abominably near a criminal offence. Like all
men without much imagination, a faculty which helps the process of
reflective thought, Lieut. D'Hubert became frightfully harassed by the
obvious aspects of his predicament. He was certainly glad that he had
not killed Lieut. Feraud outside all rules, and without the regular
witnesses proper to such a transaction. Uncommonly glad. At the same
time he felt as though he would have liked to wring his neck for him
without ceremony.

He was still under the sway of these contradictory sentiments when the
surgeon amateur of the flute came to see him. More than three days had
elapsed. Lieut. D'Hubert was no longer officier d'ordonnance to the
general commanding the division. He had been sent back to his regiment.
And he was resuming his connection with the soldiers' military family by
being shut up in close confinement, not at his own quarters in town, but
in a room in the barracks. Owing to the gravity of the incident, he was
forbidden to see any one. He did not know what had happened, what was
being said, or what was being thought. The arrival of the surgeon was a
most unexpected thing to the worried captive. The amateur of the flute
began by explaining that he was there only by a special favour of the
colonel.

"I represented to him that it would be only fair to let you have some
authentic news of your adversary," he continued. "You'll be glad to hear
he's getting better fast."

Lieut. D'Hubert's face exhibited no conventional signs of gladness. He
continued to walk the floor of the dusty bare room.

"Take this chair, doctor," he mumbled.

The doctor sat down.

"This affair is variously appreciated--in town and in the army. In fact,
the diversity of opinions is amusing."

"Is it!" mumbled Lieut. D'Hubert, tramping steadily from wall to wall.
But within himself he marvelled that there could be two opinions on the
matter. The surgeon continued.

"Of course, as the real facts are not known--"

"I should have thought," interrupted D'Hubert, "that the