Halluys," cried the poet, "you have no right to interfere."

"Stand aside, Monsieur de Saumaise." The vicomte pressed the poet back.

"Vicomte," said D'Herouville, "I will not fight you to-night."

"I am certain. Here is a phrase which leaves no misunderstanding." The
vicomte slapped D'Herouville in the face.

"Damnation!" D'Herouville fell back.

Victor turned to De Leviston. "I will waive the question of
gentleman," and he struck De Leviston even as the vicomte had struck
D'Herouville.

"Curse you, I will accompany you!" roared De Leviston.

"Very good," returned the poet. "Vicomte, there is a fine place back
of the Ursulines. Let us go there."

When Victor entered, his room that night, an hour later, it was dark.
He groped for the candle and stoked the flint. As soon as his eyes
grew accustomed to the glare of the light, he looked about, and his
shadow wavered on the plastered walls. The Chevalier lay on his cot,
his face buried in his arms. Victor touched him and he stirred.

"It is all right, Paul." Victor threw his sword and baldric into a
corner and sat down beside his stricken friend, throwing an arm around
his shoulders. "I have just this moment run De Leviston through the
shoulder. That vicomte is a cool hand. He put his blade nicely
between D'Herouville's ribs. They will both remain in hospital for two
or three weeks. It was a good fight."

CHAPTER XVI

THE POET EXPLAINS TO MONSIEUR DE LAUSON

By the next morning all Quebec had heard of the double duel, and
speculation ran high as to the cause. All Quebec, to be sure, amounted
only to a few hundreds; and a genuine duel at this period was a rare
happening. So everybody knew that D'Herouville and De Leviston were in
hospital, seriously though not dangerously wounded, and that Monsieur
de Saumaise was in the guardhouse, where, it was supposed, he would
remain for some time to come, in order that his hot blood might cool
appreciably. As for Monsieur d'Halluys, he was not under the
governor's direct jurisdiction, and was simply ordered to stay in his
room.

The officers and civilians respected the governor's command, and no
outsider gathered a word of information from them. The officers,
talking among themselves, secretly admired the poet's pluck. Like all
men of evil repute, De Leviston was a first-class swordsman and the
poet's stroke had lessened his fame. As for what had caused the fight
between the vicomte and D'Hero