"So you refuse the reparation I demand?" asked the marquis; "you refuse it, absolutely?"
"Absolutely, monsieur, absolutely."
"Then I feel obliged to terminate this interview as I began it, by again having the honour to say to you: 'Will you do me the favour to act as my vis-a-vis?'"
"What, monsieur, as your vis-a-vis?" repeated M. de Mornand, in profound astonishment.
"My vis-a-vis in a _danse a deux_," added the hunchback, with a meaning gesture. "Do you understand me?"
"A duel--with you?" cried M. de Mornand, who, in his first transport of anger, had forgotten the high social position of the hunchback, and the ridicule which would be heaped upon him if he engaged in a personal encounter with such an adversary. "A duel with you, monsieur? Really--"
"Are you going to plead as an excuse that such a position would be too--too remarkable or too dangerous, as your friend Ravil would say?"
"No, monsieur, I do not consider it too dangerous--but too ridiculous."
"Yes, frightfully ridiculous to you, as I remarked to your honest friend here a moment ago."
"Really, gentlemen," exclaimed Ravil, "I will never permit--"
Then seeing Gerald de Senneterre passing through the garden, he added:
"Here comes the Duc de Senneterre, the son of the house. I shall ask him to assist me in putting a stop to this foolish quarrel."
"Yes, gentlemen, the duke's coming is most opportune," replied the hunchback. And turning towards the young man, he called out:
"Gerald, my friend, we need your assistance."
"What is the matter, marquis?" asked Gerald, in a manner that was both deferential and affectionate.
"Have you any cigars?"
"Plenty of them, marquis."
"Well, my dear Gerald, these gentlemen and I are dying to smoke. Won't you take us up to your rooms?"
"Certainly," replied Gerald, gaily. "I have no engagement for this dance, so I have a quarter of an hour at my disposal."
"That is all the time we shall need," said the hunchback, with a meaning look at Mornand and Ravil. "Come, gentlemen," he added, taking Gerald's arm and walking on ahead of the future minister and his friend.
A minute or two afterwards the four gentlemen reached Gerald's apartments, which consisted of three rooms,--one, extremely large, on the third floor of the house.
The young duke having politely begged Messieurs de Mornand and de Ravil to pass in first, M. de Maillefort, locking the door and slipping the key in his pocket, remarked to Gerald:
"Allow me, my friend."
"But why do you lock the door, M. le marquis," asked Gerald, greatly surprised.
"So we shall not be disturbed," answered the hunchback, "but be able to smoke in peace."
"You are certainly a very cautious man, M. le marquis," said Gerald, laughing, as he ushered the party into the furthermost room, which, being much larger than the others, served both as a sitting-room and study for the young duke.
Upon one of the panels in this room hung a large shield covered with crimson velvet, on which quite a number of weapons were displayed.
CHAPTER VI.
THE DUEL.
On seeing the Marquis de Maillefort lock the door of the apartment, M.
de Mornand partially divined the hunchback's intentions, and any lingering doubts he may have felt were promptly dispelled when the marquis untied his cravat and hastily divested himself of both coat and waistcoat, to the great astonishment of Gerald, who had just turned to approach him with an open box of cigars in his hand.
Almost at the same instant, the marquis, pointing to two swords hanging with the other weapons on the shield, said to the young man:
"My dear Gerald, have the goodness to measure those swords with M. de Ravil, and give the longest to my adversary if there is any difference in them. You know the proverb, 'Hunchbacks have long arms.'"
"What!" exclaimed Gerald, in profound astonishment, "those swords?"
"Certainly, my friend. This is the situation in two words. That gentleman (pointing to Mornand) has just been extremely impertinent to me. He refused to apologise, and the time has now passed when I would accept any apology, even if he would consent to make it. There is consequently nothing for us to do but fight. You will act as my second; M. de Ravil will act in the same capacity for M. de Mornand, and we will settle our differences here and now."
Then, turning to his antagonist, the marquis added:
"Come, monsieur, off with your coat. Gerald has only a quarter of an hour to spare, and we must make the most of it."
"What a pity Olivier could not witness this scene!" thought Gerald, who had recovered from his astonishment, and who now began to regard the adventure as extremely piquant, the more so as he had very little sympathy for Messieurs Mornand and Ravil, and a very warm affection for the marquis.
But though the hunchback had made this open declaration of war, M. de Ravil turned to Gerald, and said, in a tone of profound conviction:
"You must feel that such a duel as this is entirely out of the question, M. le duc?"
"And why, monsieur?" inquired Gerald, dryly.
"Thanks, Gerald," exclaimed the marquis. "The swords, my friend, quick, the swords!"
"But think of permitting such an encounter in your mother's house! It must not be, M. le duc. Think of it, a duel, in a room in your house, and for the most trivial cause," insisted Ravil, as he saw Gerald walk to the panel and take down the swords.
"I consider myself the sole judge of the propriety of what occurs in my apartments," retorted Gerald. "There are numerous instances of similar duels, are there not, M. de Mornand?"
"Any place is suitable for avenging an affront, M. le duc," was the prompt and angry reply.
"Bravo! the Cid never made a better retort!" exclaimed the hunchback.
"Come, my dear M. de Mornand, off with your coat! It is hardly fair that I, who am not exactly modelled after the Apollo Belvedere, should be the first to strip."
M. de Mornand, at his wit's end, pulled off his coat.
"I absolutely refuse to act as second in such a duel," shouted M. de Ravil.