Denoisel was at Henri Mauperin's. They were sitting by the fire talking
and smoking. Suddenly they heard a noise and a discussion in the hall,
and, almost at the same time, the room door was opened violently and a
man entered abruptly, pushing aside the domestic who was trying to keep
him back.
"M. Mauperin de Villacourt?" he demanded.
"That is my name, monsieur," said Henri, rising.
"Well, my name is Boisjorand de Villacourt," and with the back of his
hand he gave Henri a blow which made his face bleed. Henri turned as
white as the silk scarf he was wearing as a necktie and, with the blood
trickling down his face, he bent forward to return the blow, and then,
just as suddenly, drew himself up and stretched his hand out towards
Denoisel, who stepped forward, folded his arms, and spoke in his calmest
tone:
"I think I understand what you mean, sir," he said; "you consider that
there is a Villacourt too many. I think so too."
The visitor was visibly embarrassed before the calmness of this man of
the world. He took off his hat, which he had kept on his head hitherto,
and began to stammer out a few words.
"Will you kindly leave your address with my servant?" said Henri,
interrupting him; "I will send round to you to-morrow."
* * * * *
"A disagreeable affair," began Henri, when he was once more alone with
Denoisel. "Where can he have sprung from, this Villacourt? They told me
that there were none of them left. Ah, my face is bleeding," he said,
wiping it with his handkerchief. "He's a regular buffalo. Georges, bring
some water," he called out to his domestic.
"You'll choose the sword, shall you not?" asked Denoisel. "Hand me a
stick. Now listen--you must be on guard from the first, and strike out
very little. That man's one of the bloodthirsty sort; he'll go straight
for you, and you must defend yourself with circular parries. When you
are hard pressed and he rushes headlong at you, move aside to the right
with the left foot, turn round on tip-toes on your right foot--like
that. He'll have nothing in front of him then, and you'll have him from
the side and can run him through like a frog."
"No," said Henri, lifting his face from the basin, in which he was
sponging it, "not the sword."
"But, my dear fellow, that man is evidently a sportsman; he'll be
accustomed to fire-arms."
"My dear fellow, there are certain situations which are most awkward.
I've taken another name, and that's always ridiculous. Here's a man who
accuses me of having stolen it from him. I have enemies, and a good
number of them, too; they'll make a scandal with all this. I must kill
this fellow, that's very evident; it's the only way to make my position
good. I should put an end to everything by that, lawsuits, and all the
stories and gossip--everything. The sword would not serve my purpose.
With the sword you can kill a man who has been five years at it, who can
use it, and who keeps his body in the positions you have been accustomed
to. But a man who has had no sword practice, who jumps and dances about,
who flourishes it about like a stick; I should wound him, and that would
be all. Now with the pistol--I'm a good shot, you know. You must do me
the justice of admitting that I was wise in my choice of
accomplishments. And my idea is to put it there," he touched Denoisel as
he spoke just above the hip, "just there, you see. Higher up, it's no
good, the arm is there to ward it off; but here, why there are a lot of
very necessary organs; there's the bladder, for instance; now if you are
lucky enough to hit that, and if it should happen to be full, why it
would be a case of peritonitis. And you'll get the pistol for me. A
duel--without a fuss, you understand. I want it kept quite secret, so
that no one shall hear of it beforehand. Whom shall you take with you?"
"Suppose I asked Dardouillet? He served in the National Guard, in the
cavalry; I shall have to appeal to his military instincts."
"That's the very thing, good! Will you call in and see mother first.
Tell her that I cannot come before Thursday. It would be awkward if she
happened to drop in on us just the next day or two. I shall not go out;
I'll have a bath and get a little more presentable. This mark doesn't
show very much now, does it? I shall send out for dinner, and then spend
the evening writing two or three necessary letters. By-the-bye, if you
see the gentleman to-morrow morning, why not have it out in the
afternoon at four o'clock? It's just as well to get it over. To-morrow
you'll find me here all the day--or else I shall be at the shooting
gallery. Arrange things as you would for yourself, and thanks for all
your trouble, old man. Four o'clock, then--if possible."