LUCIEN'S appearance created quite a sensation in consequence of his
remarkable likeness to his brother.
The news of Louis' death had gone abroad--not, perhaps, in all its
details, but it was known, and Lucien's appearance astonished many.
I requested a private room, saying that we were expecting the Baron
Giordano, and we got a room at the end.
Lucien began to read the papers carelessly, as if he were oblivious of
everything.
While we were seated at breakfast Giordano arrived.
The two young men had not met for four or five years, nevertheless, a
firm clasp of the hand was the only demonstration they permitted
themselves.
"Well, everything is settled," he said.
"Then M. de Chateau Renaud has accepted?"
"Yes, on condition, however, that after he has fought you he shall be
left in peace."
"Oh, he may be quite easy; I am the last of the de Franchi. Have you
seen him, or his seconds?"
"I saw him; he will notify MM. de Boissy and de Chateaugrand. The
weapons, the hour and the place will be the same."
"Capital, sit down and have some breakfast."
The Baron seated himself, and we spoke on indifferent topics.
After breakfast Lucien begged us to introduce him to the Commissioner
of Police, who had sealed up his brother's property, and to the
proprietors of the house at which his brother had lived, for he wished
to sleep that night, the last night that separated him from his
vengeance, in Louis' room.
All these arrangements took up time, so it was not till five o'clock
that Lucien entered his brother's apartment. Respecting his grief, we
left him there alone.
We had arranged to meet him again next morning at eight o'clock, and
he begged me to bring the same pistols, and to buy them if they were
for sale.
I went to Devismes and purchased the weapons. Next morning, at eight
o'clock I was with Lucien.
When I entered, he was seated writing at the same table, where his
brother had sat writing. He smiled when he saw me, but he was very
pale.
"Good morning," he said, "I am writing to my mother."
"I hope you will be able to write her a less doleful letter than poor
Louis wrote eight days ago."
"I have told her that she may rest happy, for her son is avenged."
"How are you able to speak with such certainty?"
"Did not my brother announce to you his own approaching death? Well,
then, I announce to you the death of M. de Chateau Renaud."
He rose as he spoke, and touching me on the temple, said--
"There, that's where I shall put my bullet."
"And yourself?"
"I shall not be touched."
"But, at least, wait for the issue of the duel, before you send your
letter."
"It would be perfectly useless."
He rang, the servant appeared.
"Joseph," said he, "take this letter to the post."
"But have you seen your dead brother?"
"Yes," he answered.
It is a very strange thing the occurrence of these two duels so close
together, and in each of which one of the two combatants was doomed.
While we were talking the Baron Giordano arrived. It was eight
o'clock, so we started.
Lucien was very anxious to arrive first, so we were on the field ten
minutes before the hour.
Our adversaries arrived at nine o'clock punctually. They came on
horseback, followed by a groom also on horseback.
M. de Chateau Renaud had his hand in the breast of his coat. I at
first thought he was carrying his arm in a sling.
The gentlemen dismounted twenty paces from us, and gave their bridles
to the groom.
Monsieur de Chateau Renaud remained apart, but looked steadfastly at
Lucien, and I thought he became paler. He turned aside and amused
himself knocking off the little flowers with his riding whip.
"Well, gentlemen, here we are!" said MM. de Chateaugrand and de
Boissy, "but you know our conditions. This duel is to be the last, and
no matter what the issue may be, M. de Chateau Renaud shall not have
to answer to any one for the double result."
"That is understood," we replied. Then Lucien bowed assent.
"You have the weapons, gentlemen?" said the Viscount.
"Here are the same pistols."
"And they are unknown to M. de Franchi?"
"Less known to him than to M. de Chateau Renaud who has already used
them once. M. de Franchi has not even seen them."
"That is sufficient, gentlemen. Come, Chateau Renaud!"
We immediately entered the wood, and each one felt, as he revisited
the fatal spot, that a tragedy more terrible still was about to be
enacted.
We soon arrived in the little dell.
M. de Chateau Renaud, thanks to his great self-command, appeared quite
calm, but those who had seen both encounters could appreciate the
difference.
From time to time he glanced under his lids at Lucien, and his furtive
looks denoted a disquietude approaching to fear.
Perhaps it was the great resemblance between the brothers that struck
him, and he thought he saw in Lucien the avenging shade of Louis.
While they were loading the pistols I saw him draw his hand from the
breast of his coat. The fingers were enveloped in a handkerchief as if
to prevent their twitching.
Lucien waited calmly, like a man who was sure of his vengeance.
Without being told, Lucien walked to the place his brother had
occupied, which compelled Chateau Renaud to take up his position as
before.
Lucien received his weapon with a joyous smile.
When Chateau Renaud took his pistol he became deadly pale. Then he
passed his hand between his cravat and his neck as if he were
suffocating.
No one can conceive with what feelings of terror I regarded this young
man, handsome, rich, and elegant, who but yesterday believed he had
many years still before him, and who to-day, with the sweat on his
brow and agony at his heart, felt he was condemned.
"Are you ready, gentlemen?" asked M. de Chateaugrand.
"Yes," replied Lucien.
M. de Chateau Renaud made a sign in the affirmative.
As for me I was obliged to turn away, not daring to look upon the
scene.
I heard the two successive clappings of the hands, and at the third
the simultaneous reports of the pistols. I turned round.
Chateau Renaud was lying on the ground, stark dead; he had not uttered
a sound nor made a movement.
I approached the body, impelled by that invincible curiosity which
compels one to see the end of a catastrophe.
The bullet had entered the dead man's temple, at the very spot that
Lucien had indicated to me previously.
I ran to him, he was calm and motionless, but seeing me coming towards
him he let fall the pistol, and threw himself into my arms.
"Ah, my brother, my poor brother!" he cried as he burst into a passion
of sobs.
These were the first tears that the young man had shed.
__________
Woodfall & Kinder, Printers, Milford Lane, Strand, London, W.C.
Transcriber's Note
This transcription is based on images scanned by Google from a copy in
the Bodleian Library:
dbooks.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/books/PDFs/590318888.pdf
The scanned images (without the original cover image) are also
available through Google:
books.google.com/books?id=g7gNAAAAQAAJ
Variant spellings such as "trowsers" and "examing" have been retained,
and in general, inconsistencies of punctuation and italicization were
also not changed. However, when the punctuation seemed problematic, a
copy of the French text was consulted, and in a few cases the
punctuation was changed as noted below. The copy consulted, which was
printed in Paris in 1874 by Michel Lévy frères, is posted by the
Internet Archive:
archive.org/details/lesfrrescorses01dumagoog
The following changes were noted:
- p. 20: "Yes," he repled, "to a rendezvous."--Changed "repled" to
"replied".
- p. 23: "Do you rembember on what occasion?"--Changed "rembember" to
"remember".
- p. 32: Two lines of dialogue ("Yes, I." and "Do you wish me to tell
you why you have come into this province of Sartène?") have been
combined into one line. The French text, which does not have a line
break, reads: "Eh! mon Dieu, oui, moi. Voulez-vous que je vous dise ce
que vous êtes venu chercher dans la province de Sartène?"
- p. 33: ...you can tell us when you leave, if you wish, if not, you
need not inform us...--Changed comma after "wish" to a semicolon in
keeping with the French text.
- p. 34: "...The mischief arose between the Orlandi and the
Colona.--Added a closing double quotation mark.
- p. 34: ...and flew into that of the Colona."--Deleted closing
quotation mark because character continues speaking in the next
paragraph.
- p. 35: "...one of these two parties this evening; no
doubt?"--Changed semicolon to a comma in keeping with French text.
- p. 44: '"Giudice,' she would say, 'how do you expect...--Reversed
order of quotation marks at beginning of sentence.
- p. 71: "Well, then," said he, "let us embrace. I can only deliver
that which I am able to receive."--The quoted dialogue appears to be
spoken by the narrator even though the translation ascribes it to
Lucien. The French text reads: "Eh bien, alors, embrassons-nous; je ne
puis rendre que ce que j'aurai reçu." The dialogue tag "said he" and
the punctuation marks used to set off the dialogue tag have been
deleted so that the translation more accurately reflects the French
text.
- p. 76: "Then" I continued...--Inserted a comma after "Then".
- p. 78: "Well."--Changed period to a question mark in keeping with
the French text.
- p. 78: "At what time."--Changed period to a question mark in keeping
with the French text.
- p. 84: "What is the point then."--Changed period to a question mark
in keeping with the French text.
- p. 84: "But surely you have some reason to give for your change of
opinion? just now you were insisting..."--Changed question mark to a
semicolon in keeping with French text.
- p. 84: "I did not then know that we should meet Chateau
Renaud,"--Changed comma to a period.
- p. 87: ...replied V----. There are so...--Inserted an opening double
quotation mark before "There".
- p. 94: "M. de Cahteau Renaud is quite a man of the world...--Changed
"Cahteau" to "Chateau".
- p. 96: "...you had never handled a sword or a pistol.--Added a
closing quotation mark.
- p. 97: We entered the _Salle à manger,_ and put aside...--Changed
_Salle_ to all lower case to be consistent with elsewhere in the text.
- p. 99: "Well, if they propose pistols, accept them at
once?"--Changed question mark to a period in keeping with French text.
- p. 104: ...and said, 'You are welcome, father.'"--Deleted closing
quotation mark because character continues speaking in the next
paragraph.
- p. 106: "Just so," and if he is killed in his turn...--Deleted
closing double quotation mark after "so,".
- p. 107: ...so we shall be obliged to get a case of pistols from
Devisme.--Added closing quotation mark to end of sentence.
- p. 120: ...nor was there any trace of the body on the bed,--Changed
comma at end of sentence to a period.
- p. 121: Lucien eat like a man...--Changed "eat" to "ate".
- p. 124: The two young men had not met for four or five years,
nevertheless, a firm clasp...--Changed comma after "years" to a
semicolon in keeping with French text.
- p. 125: "And yourself."--Changed period to a question mark in
keeping with French text.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Corsican Brothers, by Alexandre Dumas