下载辰思小说免费APP
Therewasanawfulsavageyell，aturmoilonthedarkpath，shotsfired，blows，groans:andwiththesoundofsmashedbushes，theshoutsofthepursuersandthescreamsofthepursued，theman-hunt，thewarder-hunt，passedbymeintotheinterioroftheisland。Iwasalone。AndIassureyou，monsieur，Iwasindifferenttoeverything。Afterstandingstillforawhile，IwalkedonalongthepathtillIkickedsomethinghard。I
stoopedandpickedupawarder\'srevolver。Ifeltwithmyfingersthatitwasloadedinfivechambers。InthegustsofwindIheardtheconvictscallingtoeachotherfaraway，andthenarollofthunderwouldcoverthesoughingandrustlingofthetrees。Suddenly，abiglightranacrossmypathverylowalongtheground。
Anditshowedawoman\'sskirtwiththeedgeofanapron。
"Iknewthatthepersonwhocarrieditmustbethewifeoftheheadwarder。Theyhadforgottenallabouther，itseems。Ashotrangoutintheinterioroftheisland，andshecriedouttoherselfassheran。Shepassedon。Ifollowed，andpresentlyIsawheragain。
Shewaspullingatthecordofthebigbellwhichhangsattheendofthelanding-pier，withonehand，andwiththeothershewasswingingtheheavylanterntoandfro。ThisistheagreedsignalfortheIleRoyaleshouldassistanceberequiredatnight。Thewindcarriedthesoundawayfromourislandandthelightsheswungwashiddenontheshoresidebythefewtreesthatgrownearthewarders\'house。
"Icameupquiteclosetoherfrombehind。Shewentonwithoutstopping，withoutlookingaside，asthoughshehadbeenallaloneontheisland。Abravewoman，monsieur。Iputtherevolverinsidethebreastofmyblueblouseandwaited。Aflashoflightningandaclapofthunderdestroyedboththesoundandthelightofthesignalforaninstant，butsheneverfaltered，pullingatthecordandswingingthelanternasregularlyasamachine。Shewasacomelywomanofthirty——nomore。Ithoughttomyself，\'Allthat\'snogoodonanightlikethis。\'AndImadeupmymindthatifabodyofmyfellow-convictscamedowntothepier——
whichwassuretohappensoon——IwouldshootherthroughtheheadbeforeIshotmyself。Iknewthe\'comrades\'well。Thisideaofminegavemequitean。
interestinlife，monsieur；andatonce，insteadofre-
mainingstupidlyexposedonthepier，Iretreatedalittlewayandcrouchedbehindabush。Ididnotin-
tendtoletmyselfbepounceduponunawaresandbepreventedperhapsfromrenderingasupremeservicetoatleastonehumancreaturebeforeIdiedmyself。
"Butwemustbelievethesignalwasseen，forthegalleyfromIleRoyalecameoverinanastonishinglyshorttime。Thewomankeptrightontillthelightofherlanternflashedupontheofficerincommandandthebayonetsofthesoldiersintheboat。Thenshesatdownandbegantocry。
"Shedidn\'tneedmeanymore。Ididnotbudge。
Somesoldierswereonlyintheirshirt-sleeves，otherswithoutboots，justasthecalltoarmshadfoundthem。
Theypassedbymybushatthedouble。Thegalleyhadbeensentawayformore；andthewomansatallalonecryingattheendofthepier，withthelanternstandingonthegroundnearher。
"ThensuddenlyIsawinthelightattheendofthepiertheredpantaloonsoftwomoremen。Iwasover-
comewithastonishment。They，too，startedoffatarun。Theirtunicsflappedunbuttonedandtheywerebare-headed。Oneofthempantedouttotheother，\'Straighton，straighton!\'
"Whereonearthdidtheyspringfrom，Iwondered。
SlowlyIwalkeddowntheshortpier。Isawthewoman\'sformshakenbysobsandheardhermoaningmoreandmoredistinctly，\'Oh，myman!mypoorman!
mypoorman!\'Istoleonquietly。Shecouldneitherhearnorseeanything。Shehadthrownherapronoverherheadandwasrockingherselftoandfroinhergrief。
ButIremarkedasmallboatfastenedtotheendofthepier。
"Thosetwomen——theylookedlikesous-officiers——
musthavecomeinit，afterbeingtoolate，Isuppose，forthegalley。Itisincrediblethattheyshouldhavethusbrokentheregulationsfromasenseofduty。Anditwasastupidthingtodo。IcouldnotbelievemyeyesintheverymomentIwassteppingintothatboat。
"Ipulledalongtheshoreslowly。AblackcloudhungovertheIlesdeSalut。Iheardfiring，shouts。
Anotherhunthadbegun——theconvict-hunt。Theoarsweretoolongtopullcomfortably。Imanagedthemwithdifficulty，thoughtheboatherselfwaslight。
ButwhenIgotroundtotheothersideoftheislandthesquallbrokeinrainandwind。Iwasunabletomakeheadagainstit。Ilettheboatdriftashoreandsecuredher。
"Iknewthespot。Therewasatumbledownoldhovelstandingnearthewater。CoweringinthereI
heardthroughthenoisesofthewindandthefallingdownpoursomepeopletearingthroughthebushes。
Theycameoutonthestrand。Soldiersperhaps。A
flashoflightningthreweverythingnearmeintoviolentrelief。Twoconvicts!
"Anddirectlyanamazedvoiceexclaimed。\'It\'samiracle!\'ItwasthevoiceofSimon，otherwiseBiscuit。
"Andanothervoicegrowled，\'What\'samiracle?\'
"\'Why，there\'saboatlyinghere!\'
"\'Youmustbemad，Simon!Butthereis，afterall……Aboat。\'
"Theyseemedawedintocompletesilence。TheothermanwasMafile。Hespokeagain，cautiously。
"\'Itisfastenedup。Theremustbesomebodyhere。\'
"Ispoketothemfromwithinthehovel:\'Iamhere。\'
"Theycameinthen，andsoongavemetounderstandthattheboatwastheirs，notmine。\'Therearetwoofus，\'saidMafile，\'againstyoualone。\'
"Igotoutintotheopentokeepclearofthemforfearofgettingatreacherousblowonthehead。Icouldhaveshotthembothwheretheystood。ButIsaidnothing。Ikeptdownthelaughterrisinginmythroat。
Imademyselfveryhumbleandbeggedtobeallowedtogo。Theyconsultedinlowtonesaboutmyfate，whilewithmyhandontherevolverinthebosomofmyblouseIhadtheirlivesinmypower。Iletthemlive。I
meantthemtopullthatboat。IrepresentedtothemwithabjecthumilitythatIunderstoodthemanagementofaboat，andthat，beingthreetopull，wecouldgetarestinturns。Thatdecidedthematlast。Itwastime。
AlittlemoreandIwouldhavegoneintoscreamingfitsatthedrollnessofit。"
Atthispointhisexcitementbrokeout。Hejumpedoffthebenchandgesticulated。Thegreatshadowsofhisarmsdartingoverroofandwallsmadetheshedappeartoosmalltocontainhisagitation。
"Idenynothing，"heburstout。"Iwaselated，monsieur。Itastedasortoffelicity。ButIkeptveryquiet。Itookmyturnsatpullingallthroughthenight。Wemadefortheopensea，puttingourtrustinapassingship。Itwasafoolhardyaction。Ipersuadedthemtoit。Whenthesunrosetheimmensityofwaterwascalm，andtheIlesdeSalutappearedonlylikedarkspecksfromthetopofeachswell。Iwassteeringthen。
Mafile，whowaspullingbow，letoutanoathandsaid，\'Wemustrest。\'
\'Thetimetolaughhadcomeatlast。AndItookmyfillofit，Icantellyou。Iheldmysidesandrolledinmyseat，theyhadsuchstartledfaces。\'What\'sgotintohim，theanimal?\'criesMafile。
"AndSimon，whowasnearesttome，saysoverhisshouldertohim，\'DeviltakemeifIdon\'tthinkhe\'sgonemad!\'
"ThenIproducedtherevolver。Aha!Inamo-
menttheybothgotthestoniesteyesyoucanimagine。
Ha，ha!Theywerefrightened。Buttheypulled。
Oh，yes，theypulledallday，sometimeslookingwildandsometimeslookingfaint。IlostnothingofitbecauseI
hadtokeepmyeyesonthemallthetime，orelse——
crack!——theywouldhavebeenontopofmeinasecond。
Irestedmyrevolverhandonmykneeallreadyandsteeredwiththeother。Theirfacesbegantoblister。
Skyandseaseemedonfireroundusandtheseasteamedinthesun。Theboatmadeasizzlingsoundasshewentthroughthewater。SometimesMafilefoamedatthemouthandsometimeshegroaned。Buthepulled。Hedarednotstop。Hiseyesbecameblood-shotallover，andhehadbittenhislowerliptopieces。Simonwasashoarseasacrow。
"\'Comrade——\'hebegins。
\'"Therearenocomradeshere。Iamyourpa-
tron。\'
"\'Patron，then，\'hesays，\'inthenameofhumanityletusrest。\'
"Iletthem。Therewasalittlerainwaterwashingaboutthebottomoftheboat。Ipermittedthemtosnatchsomeofitinthehollowoftheirpalms。ButasI
gavethecommand，\'Enroute!\'Icaughtthemexchang-
ingsignificantglances。TheythoughtIwouldhavetogotosleepsometime!Aha!ButIdidnotwanttogotosleep。Iwasmoreawakethanever。Itistheywhowenttosleepastheypulled，tumblingoffthethwartsheadoverheelssuddenly，oneafteranother。Iletthemlie。Allthestarswereout。Itwasaquietworld。Thesunrose。Anotherday。Allez!Enroute!
"Theypulledbadly。Theireyesrolledaboutandtheirtongueshungout。InthemiddleoftheforenoonMafilecroaksout:\'Letusmakearushathim，Simon。
Iwouldjustassoonbeshotatonceastodieofthirst，hunger，andfatigueattheoar。\'
"Butwhilehespokehepulled；andSimonkeptonpullingtoo。Itmademesmile。Ah!Theylovedtheirlifethesetwo，inthisevilworldoftheirs，justasIusedtolovemylife，too，beforetheyspoileditformewiththeirphrases。Iletthemgoontothepointofexhaustion，andonlythenIpointedatthesailsofashiponthehorizon。
"Aha!Youshouldhaveseenthemreviveandbuckletotheirwork!ForIkeptthematittopullrightacrossthatship\'spath。Theywerechanged。
ThesortofpityIhadfeltforthemleftme。Theylookedmorelikethemselveseveryminute。TheylookedatmewiththeglancesIrememberedsowell。
Theywerehappy。Theysmiled。
"\'Well，\'saysSimon，\'theenergyofthatyoungsterhassavedourlives。Ifhehadn\'tmadeus，wecouldneverhavepulledsofaroutintothetrackofships。
Comrade，Iforgiveyou。Iadmireyou。\'
"AndMafilegrowlsfromforward:\'Weoweyouafamousdebtofgratitude，comrade。Youarecutoutforachief。\'
"Comrade!Monsieur!Ah，whatagoodword!
Andthey，suchmenasthesetwo，hadmadeitaccursed。
Ilookedatthem。Irememberedtheirlies，theirpromises，theirmenaces，andallmydaysofmisery。
WhycouldtheynothaveleftmealoneafterIcameoutofprison?IlookedatthemandthoughtthatwhiletheylivedIcouldneverbefree。Never。NeitherInorotherslikemewithwarmheartsandweakheads。ForIknowIhavenotastronghead，monsieur。Ablackragecameuponme——therageofextremeintoxication——
butnotagainsttheinjusticeofsociety。Oh，no!
"\'Imustbefree!\'Icried，furiously。
"\'Vivelaliberte!"yellsthatruffianMafile。\'MortauxbourgeoiswhosendustoCayenne!Theyshallsoonknowthatwearefree。\'
"Thesky，thesea，thewholehorizon，seemedtoturnred，bloodredallroundtheboat。MytempleswerebeatingsoloudthatIwonderedtheydidnothear。
Howisitthattheydidnot?Howisittheydidnotunderstand?
"IheardSimonask，\'Havewenotpulledfarenoughoutnow?\'
"\'Yes。Farenough，\'Isaid。Iwassorryforhim；
itwastheotherIhated。Hehauledinhisoarwithaloudsigh，andashewasraisinghishandtowipehisforeheadwiththeairofamanwhohasdonehiswork，I
pulledthetriggerofmyrevolverandshothimlikethisofftheknee，rightthroughtheheart。
"Hetumbleddown，withhisheadhangingoverthesideoftheboat。Ididnotgivehimasecondglance。
Theothercriedoutpiercingly。Onlyoneshriekofhorror。Thenallwasstill。
"Heslippedoffthethwartontohiskneesandraisedhisclaspedhandsbeforehisfaceinanattitudeofsuppli-
cation。\'Mercy，\'hewhispered，faintly。\'Mercyforme!——comrade。\'
"\'Ah，comrade，\'Isaid，inalowtone。\'Yes，comrade，ofcourse。Well，then，shoutVivel\'anarchie。\'
"Heflunguphisarms，hisfaceuptotheskyandhismouthwideopeninagreatyellofdespair。\'Vivel\'anarchie!Vive——\'
"Hecollapsedallinaheap，withabulletthroughhishead。
"Iflungthembothoverboard。Ithrewawaytherevolver，too。ThenIsatdownquietly。Iwasfreeatlast!Atlast。Ididnotevenlooktowardstheship；
Ididnotcare；indeed，IthinkImusthavegonetosleep，becauseallofasuddentherewereshoutsandI
foundtheshipalmostontopofme。Theyhauledmeonboardandsecuredtheboatastern。Theywereallblacks，exceptthecaptain，whowasamulatto。HealoneknewafewwordsofFrench。Icouldnotfindoutwheretheyweregoingnorwhotheywere。Theygavemesomethingtoeateveryday；butIdidnotlikethewaytheyusedtodiscussmeintheirlanguage。
Perhapstheyweredeliberatingaboutthrowingmeover-
boardinordertokeeppossessionoftheboat。HowdoIknow?AswewerepassingthisislandIaskedwhetheritwasinhabited。Iunderstoodfromthemulattothattherewasahouseonit。Afarm，I
fancied，theymeant。SoIaskedthemtoputmeashoreonthebeachandkeeptheboatfortheirtrouble。This，Iimagine，wasjustwhattheywanted。Therestyouknow。"
Afterpronouncingthesewordshelostsuddenlyallcontroloverhimself。Hepacedtoandfrorapidly，tillatlasthebrokeintoarun；hisarmswentlikeawindmillandhisejaculationsbecameverymuchlikeraving。
Theburdenofthemwasthathe"deniednothing，nothing!"Icouldonlylethimgoon，andsatoutofhisway，repeating，"Calmezvous，calmezvous，"atintervals，tillhisagitationexhausteditself。
Imustconfess，too，thatIremainedtherelongafterhehadcrawledunderhismosquito-net。Hehaden-
treatedmenottoleavehim；so，asonesitsupwithanervouschild，Isatupwithhim——inthenameofhumanity——tillhefellasleep。
Onthewhole，myideaisthathewasmuchmoreofananarchistthanheconfessedtomeortohimself；andthat，thespecialfeaturesofhiscaseapart，hewasverymuchlikemanyotheranarchists。Warmheartandweakhead——thatisthewordoftheriddle；anditisafactthatthebitterestcontradictionsandthedeadliestconflictsoftheworldarecarriedonineveryindividualbreastcapableoffeelingandpassion。
FrompersonalinquiryIcanvouchthatthestoryoftheconvictmutinywasineveryparticularasstatedbyhim。
WhenIgotbacktoHortafromCayenneandsawthe"Anarchist"again，hedidnotlookwell。Hewasmoreworn，stillmorefrail，andverylividindeedunderthegrimysmudgesofhiscalling。Evidentlythemeatofthecompany\'smainherd(initsunconcentratedform)didnotagreewithhimatall。
ItwasonthepontooninHortathatwemet；andI
triedtoinducehimtoleavethelaunchmooredwhereshewasandfollowmetoEuropethereandthen。Itwouldhavebeendelightfultothinkoftheexcellentmanager\'ssurpriseanddisgustatthepoorfellow\'sescape。Butherefusedwithunconquerableobstinacy。
"Surelyyoudon\'tmeantolivealwayshere!"I
cried。Heshookhishead。
"Ishalldiehere，"hesaid。Thenaddedmoodily，"Awayfromthem。"
SometimesIthinkofhimlyingopen-eyedonhishorseman\'sgearinthelowshedfulloftoolsandscrapsofiron——theanarchistslaveoftheMaranonestate，waitingwithresignationforthatsleepwhich"fled"
fromhim，asheusedtosay，insuchanunaccountablemanner。
AMILITARYTALE
THEDUEL
I
NAPOLEONI。，whosecareerhadthequalityofaduelagainstthewholeofEurope，dislikedduellingbetweentheofficersofhisarmy。Thegreatmilitaryemperorwasnotaswashbuckler，andhadlittlerespectfortradition。
Nevertheless，astoryofduelling，whichbecamealegendinthearmy，runsthroughtheepicofimperialwars。Tothesurpriseandadmirationoftheirfellows，twoofficers，likeinsaneartiststryingtogildrefinedgoldorpaintthelily，pursuedaprivatecontestthroughtheyearsofuniversalcarnage。Theywereofficersofcavalry，andtheirconnectionwiththehigh-spiritedbutfancifulanimalwhichcarriesmenintobattleseemsparticularlyappropriate。Itwouldbedifficulttoimagineforheroesofthislegendtwoofficersofinfantryoftheline，forexample，whosefantasyistamedbymuchwalkingexercise，andwhosevalournecessarilymustbeofamoreploddingkind。Astogunnersorengineers，whoseheadsarekeptcoolonadietofmathematics，itissimplyunthinkable。
ThenamesofthetwoofficerswereFeraudandD\'Hubert，andtheywerebothlieutenantsinaregimentofhussars，butnotinthesameregiment。
Feraudwasdoingregimentalwork，butLieut。
D\'Huberthadthegoodfortunetobeattachedtothepersonofthegeneralcommandingthedivision，asofficierd\'ordonnance。ItwasinStrasbourg，andinthisagreeableandimportantgarrisontheywereenjoyinggreatlyashortintervalofpeace。Theywereenjoyingit，thoughbothintenselywarlike，becauseitwasasword-sharpening，firelock-cleaningpeace，deartoamilitaryheartandundamagingtomilitaryprestige，inasmuchthatnoonebelievedinitssincerityorduration。
Underthosehistoricalcircumstances，sofavourabletotheproperappreciationofmilitaryleisure，Lieut。
D\'Hubert，onefineafternoon，madehiswayalongaquietstreetofacheerfulsuburbtowardsLieut。Feraud\'squarters，whichwereinaprivatehousewithagardenattheback，belongingtoanoldmaidenlady。
HisknockatthedoorwasansweredinstantlybyayoungmaidinAlsatiancostume。Herfreshcomplexionandherlongeyelashes，lowereddemurelyatthesightofthetallofficer，causedLieut。D\'Hubert，whowasaccessibletoestheticimpressions，torelaxthecold，severegravityofhisface。Atthesametimeheob-
servedthatthegirlhadoverherarmapairofhussar\'sbreeches，bluewitharedstripe。
"Lieut。Feraudin?"heinquired，benevolently。
"Oh，no，sir!Hewentoutatsixthismorning。"
Theprettymaidtriedtoclosethedoor。Lieut。
D\'Hubert，opposingthismovewithgentlefirmness，steppedintotheante-room，jinglinghisspurs。
"Come，mydear!Youdon\'tmeantosayhehasnotbeenhomesincesixo\'clockthismorning?"
Sayingthesewords，Lieut。D\'Hubertopenedwith-
outceremonythedoorofaroomsocomfortablyandneatlyorderedthatonlyfrominternalevidenceintheshapeofboots，uniforms，andmilitaryaccoutrementsdidheacquiretheconvictionthatitwasLieut。Feraud\'sroom。AndhesawalsothatLieut。Feraudwasnotathome。Thetruthfulmaidhadfollowedhim，andraisedhercandideyestohisface。
"H\'m!"saidLieut。D\'Hubert，greatlydisappointed，forhehadalreadyvisitedallthehauntswherealieu-
tenantofhussarscouldbefoundofafineafternoon。
"Sohe\'sout?Anddoyouhappentoknow，mydear，whyhewentoutatsixthismorning?"
"No，"sheanswered，readily。"Hecamehomelatelastnight，andsnored。IheardhimwhenIgotupatfive。Thenhedressedhimselfinhisoldestuniformandwentout。Service，Isuppose。"
"Service?Notabitofit!"criedLieut。D\'Hubert。
"Learn，myangel，thathewentoutthusearlytofightaduelwithacivilian。"
Sheheardthisnewswithoutaquiverofherdarkeyelashes。ItwasveryobviousthattheactionsofLieut。Feraudweregenerallyabovecriticism。Sheonlylookedupforamomentinmutesurprise，andLieut。
D\'HubertconcludedfromthisabsenceofemotionthatshemusthaveseenLieut。Feraudsincethemorning。
Helookedaroundtheroom。
"Come!"heinsisted，withconfidentialfamiliarity。
"He\'sperhapssomewhereinthehousenow?"
Sheshookherhead。
"Somuchtheworseforhim!"continuedLieut。
D\'Hubert，inatoneofanxiousconviction。"Buthehasbeenhomethismorning。"
Thistimetheprettymaidnoddedslightly。
"Hehas!"criedLieut。D\'Hubert。"Andwentoutagain?Whatfor?Couldn\'thekeepquietlyindoors!
Whatalunatic!Mydeargirl——"
Lieut。D\'Hubert\'snaturalkindnessofdispositionandstrongsenseofcomradeshiphelpedhispowersofobservation。Hechangedhistonetoamostinsinuatingsoftness，and，gazingatthehussar\'sbreecheshangingoverthearmofthegirl，heappealedtotheinterestshetookinLieut。Feraud\'scomfortandhappiness。Hewaspressingandpersuasive。Heusedhiseyes，whichwerekindandfine，withexcellenteffect。HisanxietytogetholdatonceofLieut。Feraud，forLieut。Feraud\'sowngood，seemedsogenuinethatatlastitovercamethegirl\'sunwillingnesstospeak。Unluckilyshehadnotmuchtotell。Lieut。Feraudhadreturnedhomeshortlybeforeten，hadwalkedstraightintohisroom，andhadthrownhimselfonhisbedtoresumehisslumbers。Shehadheardhimsnoreratherlouderthanbeforefarintotheafternoon。Thenhegotup，putonhisbestuniform，andwentout。Thatwasallsheknew。
Sheraisedhereyes，andLieut。D\'Hubertstaredintothemincredulously。
"It\'sincredible。Goneparadingthetowninhisbestuniform!Mydearchild，don\'tyouknowheranthatcivilianthroughthismorning?Cleanthrough，asyouspitahare。"
Theprettymaidheardthegruesomeintelligencewithoutanysignsofdistress。Butshepressedherlipstogetherthoughtfully。
"Heisn\'tparadingthetown，"sheremarkedinalowtone。"Farfromit。"
"Thecivilian\'sfamilyismakinganawfulrow，"
continuedLieut。D\'Hubert，pursuinghistrainofthought。"Andthegeneralisveryangry。It\'soneofthebestfamiliesinthetown。Feraudoughttohavekeptcloseatleast——"
"Whatwillthegeneraldotohim?"inquiredthegirl，anxiously。
"Hewon\'thavehisheadcutoff，tobesure，"grum-
bledLieut。D\'Hubert。"Hisconductispositivelyin-
decent。He\'smakingnoendoftroubleforhimselfbythissortofbravado。"
"Butheisn\'tparadingthetown，"themaidinsistedinashymurmur。
"Why，yes!NowIthinkofit，Ihaven\'tseenhimanywhereabout。Whatonearthhashedonewithhimself?"
"He\'sgonetopayacall，"suggestedthemaid，afteramomentofsilence。
Lieut。D\'Hubertstarted。
"Acall!Doyoumeanacallonalady?Thecheekoftheman!Andhowdoyouknowthis，mydear?"
Withoutconcealingherwoman\'sscornforthedense-
nessofthemasculinemind，theprettymaidremindedhimthatLieut。Feraudhadarrayedhimselfinhisbestuniformbeforegoingout。Hehadalsoputonhisnewestdolman，sheadded，inatoneasifthisconver-
sationweregettingonhernerves，andturnedawaybrusquely。
Lieut。D\'Hubert，withoutquestioningtheaccuracyofthededuction，didnotseethatitadvancedhimmuchonhisofficialquest。ForhisquestafterLieut。Feraudhadanofficialcharacter。Hedidnotknowanyofthewomenthisfellow，whohadrunamanthroughinthemorning，waslikelytovisitintheafternoon。Thetwoyoungmenkneweachotherbutslightly。Hebithisglovedfingerinperplexity。
"Call!"heexclaimed。"Callonthedevil!"
Thegirl，withherbacktohim，andfoldingthehussarsbreechesonachair，protestedwithavexedlittlelaugh:
"Oh，dear，no!OnMadamedeLionne。"
Lieut。D\'Hubertwhistledsoftly。MadamedeLionnewasthewifeofahighofficialwhohadawell-knownsalonandsomepretensionstosensibilityandelegance。
Thehusbandwasacivilian，andold；butthesocietyofthesalonwasyoungandmilitary。Lieut。D\'Huberthadwhistled，notbecausetheideaofpursuingLieut。
Feraudintothatverysalonwasdisagreeabletohim，butbecause，havingarrivedinStrasbourgonlylately，hehadnothadthetimeasyettogetanintroductiontoMadamedeLionne。AndwhatwasthatswashbucklerFerauddoingthere，hewondered。Hedidnotseemthesortofmanwho——
"Areyoucertainofwhatyousay?"askedLieut。
D\'Hubert。
Thegirlwasperfectlycertain。Withoutturningroundtolookathim，sheexplainedthatthecoachmanoftheirnextdoorneighboursknewthemaitre-d\'hotelofMadamedeLionne。Inthiswayshehadherin-
formation。Andshewasperfectlycertain。Ingivingthisassuranceshesighed。Lieut。Feraudcalledtherenearlyeveryafternoon，sheadded。
"Ah，bah!"exclaimedD\'Hubert，ironically。HisopinionofMadamedeLionnewentdownseveralde-
grees。Lieut。Ferauddidnotseemtohimspeciallyworthyofattentiononthepartofawomanwitharepu-
tationforsensibilityandelegance。Buttherewasnosaying。Atbottomtheywereallalike——verypracti-
calratherthanidealistic。Lieut。D\'Hubert，however，didnotallowhismindtodwellontheseconsiderations。
"Bythunder!"hereflectedaloud。"Thegeneralgoestheresometimes。Ifhehappenstofindthefellowmakingeyesattheladytherewillbethedeviltopay!
Ourgeneralisnotaveryaccommodatingperson，Icantellyou。"
"Goquickly，then!Don\'tstandherenowI\'vetoldyouwhereheis!"criedthegirl，colouringtotheeyes。
"Thanks，mydear!Idon\'tknowwhatIwouldhavedonewithoutyou。"
Aftermanifestinghisgratitudeinanaggressiveway，whichatfirstwasrepulsedviolently，andthensub-
mittedtowithasuddenandstillmorerepellentin-
difference，Lieut。D\'Huberttookhisdeparture。
Heclankedandjingledalongthestreetswithamartialswagger。Torunacomradetoearthinadrawing-roomwherehewasnotknowndidnottroublehimintheleast。Auniformisapassport。Hispositionasofficierd\'ordonnanceofthegeneraladdedtohisassurance。Moreover，nowthatheknewwheretofindLieut。Feraud，hehadnooption。Itwasaser-
vicematter。
MadamedeLionne\'shousehadanexcellentappear-
ance。Amaninlivery，openingthedoorofalargedrawing-roomwithawaxedfloor，shoutedhisnameandstoodasidetolethimpass。Itwasareceptionday。
Theladiesworebighatssurchargedwithaprofusionoffeathers；theirbodiessheathedinclingingwhitegowns，fromthearmpitstothetipsofthelowsatinshoes，lookedsylph-likeandcoolinagreatdisplayofbarenecksandarms。Themenwhotalkedwiththem，onthecontrary，werearrayedheavilyinmulti-colouredgarmentswithcollarsuptotheirearsandthicksashesroundtheirwaists。Lieut。D\'Hubertmadehisun-
abashedwayacrosstheroomand，bowinglowbeforeasylph-likeformrecliningonacouch，offeredhisapologiesforthisintrusion，whichnothingcouldexcusebuttheextremeurgencyoftheserviceorderhehadtocommunicatetohiscomradeFeraud。Heproposedtohimselftoreturnpresentlyinamoreregularmannerandbegforgivenessforinterruptingtheinterestingconversation……
Abarearmwasextendedtowardshimwithgraciousnonchalanceevenbeforehehadfinishedspeaking。Hepressedthehandrespectfullytohislips，andmadethementalremarkthatitwasbony。MadamedeLionnewasablonde，withtoofineaskinandalongface。
"C\'estca!"shesaid，withanetherealsmile，disclosingasetoflargeteeth。"Comethiseveningtopleadforyourforgiveness。"
"Iwillnotfail，madame。"
Meantime，Lieut。Feraud，splendidinhisnewdolmanandtheextremelypolishedbootsofhiscalling，satonachairwithinafootofthecouch，onehandrestingonhisthigh，theothertwirlinghismoustachetoapoint。AtasignificantglancefromD\'Hubertherosewithoutalacrity，andfollowedhimintotherecessofawindow。
"Whatisityouwantwithme?"heasked，withastonishingindifference。Lieut。D\'HubertcouldnotimaginethatintheinnocenceofhisheartandsimplicityofhisconscienceLieut。Feraudtookaviewofhisduelinwhichneitherremorsenoryetarationalapprehensionofconsequenceshadanyplace。Thoughhehadnoclearrecollectionhowthequarrelhadoriginated(itwasbeguninanestablishmentwherebeerandwinearedrunklateatnight)，hehadnottheslightestdoubtofbeinghimselftheoutragedparty。Hehadhadtwoexperiencedfriendsforhisseconds。Everythinghadbeendoneaccordingtotherulesgoverningthatsortofadventures。Andaduelisobviouslyfoughtforthepurposeofsomeonebeingatleasthurt，ifnotkilledoutright。Theciviliangothurt。Thatalsowasinorder。Lieut。Feraudwasperfectlytranquil；butLieut。D\'Huberttookitforaffectation，andspokewithacertainvivacity。
"Iamdirectedbythegeneraltogiveyoutheordertogoatoncetoyourquarters，andremainthereunderclosearrest。"
ItwasnowtheturnofLieut。Feraudtobeaston-
ished。"Whatthedevilareyoutellingmethere?"hemurmured，faintly，andfellintosuchprofoundwonderthathecouldonlyfollowmechanicallythemotionsofLieut。D\'Hubert。Thetwoofficers，onetall，withaninterestingfaceandamoustachethecolourofripecorn，theother，shortandsturdy，withahookednoseandathickcropofblackcurlyhair，approachedthemistressofthehousetotaketheirleave。MadamedeLionne，awomanofeclectictaste，smileduponthesearmedyoungmenwithimpartialsensibilityandanequalshareofinterest。MadamedeLionnetookherdelightintheinfinitevarietyofthehumanspecies。Alltheothereyesinthedrawing-roomfollowedthedepartingofficers；andwhentheyhadgoneoutoneortwomen，whohadalreadyheardoftheduel，impartedthein-
formationtothesylph-likeladies，whoreceiveditwithfaintshrieksofhumaneconcern。
Meantime，thetwohussarswalkedsidebyside，Lieut。
Feraudtryingtomasterthehiddenreasonofthingswhichinthisinstanceeludedthegraspofhisintellect，Lieut。D\'Hubertfeelingannoyedattheparthehadtoplay，becausethegeneral\'sinstructionswerethatheshouldseepersonallythatLieut。Feraudcarriedouthisorderstotheletter，andatonce。
"Thechiefseemstoknowthisanimal，"hethought，eyeinghiscompanion，whoseroundface，theroundeyes，andeventhetwisted-upjetblacklittlemoustacheseemedanimatedbyamentalexasperationagainsttheincomprehensible。Andaloudheobservedratherre-
proachfully，"Thegeneralisinadevilishfurywithyou!"
Lieut。Feraudstoppedshortontheedgeofthepave-
ment，andcriedinaccentsofunmistakablesincerity，"Whatonearthfor?"TheinnocenceofthefieryGasconsoulwasdepictedinthemannerinwhichheseizedhisheadinbothhandsasiftopreventitburstingwithperplexity。
"Fortheduel，"saidLieut。D\'Hubert，curtly。Hewasannoyedgreatlybythissortofperversefooling。
"Theduel!The……"
Lieut。Feraudpassedfromoneparoxysmofastonish-
mentintoanother。Hedroppedhishandsandwalkedonslowly，tryingtoreconcilethisinformationwiththestateofhisownfeelings。Itwasimpossible。Heburstoutindignantly，"WasItoletthatsauerkraut-eatingcivilianwipehisbootsontheuniformofthe7thHus-
sars?"
Lieut。D\'Hubertcouldnotremainaltogetherun-
movedbythatsimplesentiment。Thislittlefellowwasalunatic，hethoughttohimself，buttherewassome-
thinginwhathesaid。
"Ofcourse，Idon\'tknowhowfaryouwerejustified，"
hebegan，soothingly。"Andthegeneralhimselfmaynotbeexactlyinformed。Thosepeoplehavebeendeafeninghimwiththeirlamentations。"
"Ah!thegeneralisnotexactlyinformed，"mumbledLieut。Feraud，walkingfasterandfasterashischolerattheinjusticeofhisfatebegantorise。"Heisnotexactly……Andheordersmeunderclosearrest，withGodknowswhatafterwards!"
"Don\'texciteyourselflikethis，"remonstratedtheother。"Youradversary\'speopleareveryinfluential，youknow，anditlooksbadenoughonthefaceofit。
Thegeneralhadtotakenoticeoftheircomplaintatonce。Idon\'tthinkhemeanstobeover-severewithyou。It\'sthebestthingforyoutobekeptoutofsightforawhile。"
"Iamverymuchobligedtothegeneral，"mutteredLieut。Feraudthroughhisteeth。"AndperhapsyouwouldsayIoughttobegratefultoyou，too，forthetroubleyouhavetakentohuntmeupinthedrawing-
roomofaladywho——"
"Frankly，"interruptedLieut。D\'Hubert，withaninnocentlaugh，"Ithinkyououghttobe。Ihadnoendoftroubletofindoutwhereyouwere。Itwasn\'texactlytheplaceforyoutodisportyourselfinunderthecircumstances。Ifthegeneralhadcaughtyoutheremakingeyesatthegoddessofthetemple……
oh，myword!……Hehatestobebotheredwithcomplaintsagainsthisofficers，youknow。Anditlookeduncommonlylikesheerbravado。"
ThetwoofficershadarrivednowatthestreetdoorofLieut。Feraud\'slodgings。Thelatterturnedtowardshiscompanion。"Lieut。D\'Hubert，"hesaid，"Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou，whichcan\'tbesaidverywellinthestreet。Youcan\'trefusetocomeup。"
Theprettymaidhadopenedthedoor。Lieut。
Feraudbrushedpastherbrusquely，andsheraisedherscaredandquestioningeyestoLieut。D\'Hubert，whocoulddonothingbutshrughisshouldersslightlyashefollowedwithmarkedreluctance。
InhisroomLieut。Feraudunhookedtheclasp，flunghisnewdolmanonthebed，and，foldinghisarmsacrosshischest，turnedtotheotherhussar。
"DoyouimagineIamamantosubmittamelytoinjustice?"heinquired，inaboisterousvoice。
"Oh，dobereasonable!"remonstratedLieut。D\'Hu-
bert。
"Iamreasonable!Iamperfectlyreasonable!"
retortedtheotherwithominousrestraint。"Ican\'tcallthegeneraltoaccountforhisbehaviour，butyouaregoingtoanswermeforyours。"
"Ican\'tlistentothisnonsense，"murmuredLieut。
D\'Hubert，makingaslightlycontemptuousgrimace。
"Youcallthisnonsense?Itseemstomeaper-
fectlyplainstatement。Unlessyoudon\'tunderstandFrench。"
"Whatonearthdoyoumean?"
"Imean，"screamedsuddenlyLieut。Feraud，"tocutoffyourearstoteachyoutodisturbmewiththegeneral\'sorderswhenIamtalkingtoalady!"
Aprofoundsilencefollowedthismaddeclaration；
andthroughtheopenwindowLieut。D\'Hubertheardthelittlebirdssingingsanelyinthegarden。Hesaid，preservinghiscalm，"Why!Ifyoutakethattone，ofcourseIshallholdmyselfatyourdispositionwheneveryouareatlibertytoattendtothisaffair；butIdon\'tthinkyouwillcutmyearsoff。"
