the two brothers-第69章

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The　dessert　passed　off　well；　the　libations　were　plentiful。　The

antagonists　and　their　four　seconds　made　it　a　point　of　honor　that　a

duel；　involving　so　large　a　fortune；　and　the　reputation　of　two　men

noted　for　their　courage；　should　not　appear　the　result　of　an　ordinary

squabble。　No　two　gentlemen　could　have　behaved　better　than　Philippe　and

Max；　in　this　respect　the　anxious　waiting　of　the　young　men　and

townspeople　grouped　about　the　market…place　was　balked。　All　the　guests；

like　true　soldiers；　kept　silence　as　to　the　episode　which　took　place　at

dessert。　At　ten　o'clock　that　night　the　two　adversaries　were　informed

that　the　sabre　was　the　weapon　agreed　upon　by　the　seconds；　the　place

chosen　for　the　rendezvous　was　behind　the　chancel　of　the　church　of　the

Capuchins　at　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning。　Goddet；　who　was　at　the

banquet　in　his　quality　of　former　army　surgeon；　was　requested　to　be

present　at　the　meeting。　The　seconds　agreed　that；　no　matter　what　might

happen；　the　combat　should　last　only　ten　minutes。



At　eleven　o'clock　that　night；　to　Colonel　Bridau's　amazement；　Monsieur

Hochon　appeared　at　his　rooms　just　as　he　was　going　to　bed；　escorting

Madame　Hochon。



〃We　know　what　has　happened；〃　said　the　old　lady；　with　her　eyes　full　of

tears；　〃and　I　have　come　to　entreat　you　not　to　leave　the　house　to…

morrow　morning　without　saying　your　prayers。　Lift　your　soul　to　God！〃



〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　Philippe；　to　whom　old　Hochon　made　a　sign　from

behind　his　wife's　back。



〃That　is　not　all；〃　said　Agathe's　godmother。　〃I　stand　in　the　place　of

your　poor　mother；　and　I　divest　myself；　for　you；　of　a　thing　which　I

hold　most　precious；here；〃　she　went　on；　holding　towards　Philippe　a

tooth；　fastened　upon　a　piece　of　black　velvet　embroidered　in　gold；　to

which　she　had　sewn　a　pair　of　green　strings。　Having　shown　it　to　him；

she　replaced　it　in　a　little　bag。　〃It　is　a　relic　of　Sainte　Solange；　the

patron　saint　of　Berry；〃　she　said；　〃I　saved　it　during　the　Revolution；

wear　it　on　your　breast　to…morrow。〃



〃Will　it　protect　me　from　a　sabre…thrust？〃　asked　Philippe。



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　old　lady。



〃Then　I　have　no　right　to　wear　that　accoutrement　any　more　than　if　it

were　a　cuirass；〃　cried　Agathe's　son。



〃What　does　he　mean？〃　said　Madame　Hochon。



〃He　says　it　is　not　playing　fair；〃　answered　Hochon。



〃Then　we　will　say　no　more　about　it；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃I　shall　pray

for　you。〃



〃Well；　madame；　prayerand　a　good　pointcan　do　no　harm；〃　said

Philippe；　making　a　thrust　as　if　to　pierce　Monsieur　Hochon's　heart。



The　old　lady　kissed　the　colonel　on　his　forehead。　As　she　left　the

house；　she　gave　thirty　francsall　the　money　she　possessedto

Benjamin；　requesting　him　to　sew　the　relic　into　the　pocket　of　his

master's　trousers。　Benjamin　did　so；not　that　he　believed　in　the

virtue　of　the　tooth；　for　he　said　his　master　had　a　much　better　talisman

than　that　against　Gilet；　but　because　his　conscience　constrained　him　to

fulfil　a　commission　for　which　he　had　been　so　liberally　paid。　Madame

Hochon　went　home　full　of　confidence　in　Saint　Solange。



At　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning；　December　third；　the　weather　being

cloudy；　Max；　accompanied　by　his　seconds　and　the　Pole；　arrived　on　the

little　meadow　which　then　surrounded　the　apse　of　the　church　of　the

Capuchins。　There　he　found　Philippe　and　his　seconds；　with　Benjamin；

waiting　for　him。　Potel　and　Mignonnet　paced　off　twenty…four　feet；　at

each　extremity；　the　two　attendants　drew　a　line　on　the　earth　with　a

spade：　the　combatants　were　not　allowed　to　retreat　beyond　that　line；　on

pain　of　being　thought　cowardly。　Each　was　to　stand　at　his　own　line；　and

advance　as　he　pleased　when　the　seconds　gave　the　word。



〃Do　we　take　off　our　coats？〃　said　Philippe　to　his　adversary　coldly。



〃Of　course；〃　answered　Maxence；　with　the　assumption　of　a　bully。



They　did　so；　the　rosy　tints　of　their　skin　appearing　through　the

cambric　of　their　shirts。　Each；　armed　with　a　cavalry　sabre　selected　of

equal　weight；　about　three　pounds；　and　equal　length；　three　feet；　placed

himself　at　his　own　line；　the　point　of　his　weapon　on　the　ground；

awaiting　the　signal。　Both　were　so　calm　that；　in　spite　of　the　cold；

their　muscles　quivered　no　more　than　if　they　had　been　made　of　iron。

Goddet；　the　four　seconds；　and　the　two　soldiers　felt　an　involuntary

admiration。



〃They　are　a　proud　pair！〃



The　exclamation　came　from　Potel。



Just　as　the　signal　was　given；　Max　caught　sight　of　Fario's　sinister

face　looking　at　them　through　the　hole　which　the　Knights　of　Idleness

had　made　for　the　pigeons　in　the　roof　of　the　church。　Those　eyes；　which

sent　forth　streams　of　fire；　hatred；　and　revenge；　dazzled　Max　for　a

moment。　The　colonel　went　straight　to　his　adversary；　and　put　himself　on

guard　in　a　way　that　gained　him　an　advantage。　Experts　in　the　art　of

killing；　know　that；　of　two　antagonists；　the　ablest　takes　the　〃inside

of　the　pavement；〃to　use　an　expression　which　gives　the　reader　a

tangible　idea　of　the　effect　of　a　good　guard。　That　pose；　which　is　in

some　degree　observant；　marks　so　plainly　a　duellist　of　the　first　rank

that　a　feeling　of　inferiority　came　into　Max's　soul；　and　produced　the

same　disarray　of　powers　which　demoralizes　a　gambler　when；　in　presence

of　a　master　or　a　lucky　hand；　he　loses　his　self…possession　and　plays

less　well　than　usual。



〃Ah！　the　lascar！〃　thought　Max；　〃he's　an　expert；　I'm　lost！〃



He　attempted　a　〃moulinet；〃　and　twirled　his　sabre　with　the　dexterity　of

a　single…stick。　He　wanted　to　bewilder　Philippe；　and　strike　his　weapon

so　as　to　disarm　him；　but　at　the　first　encounter　he　felt　that　the

colonel's　wrist　was　iron；　with　the　flexibility　of　a　steel　string。

Maxence　was　then　forced；　unfortunate　fellow；　to　think　of　another　move；

while　Philippe；　whose　eyes　were　darting　gleams　that　were　sharper　than

the　flash　of　their　blades；　parried　every　attack　with　the　coolness　of　a

fencing…master　wearing　his　plastron　in　an　armory。



Between　two　men　of　the　calibre　of　these　combatants；　there　occurs　a

phenomenon　very　like　that　which　takes　place　among　the　lower　classes；

during　the　terrible　tussle　called　〃the　savante；〃　which　is　fought　with

the　feet；　as　the　name　implies。　Victory　depends　on　a　false　movement；　on

some　error　of　the　calculation；　rapid　as　lightning；　which　must　be　made

and　followed　almost　instinctively。　During　a　period　of　time　as　short　to

the　spectators　as　it　seems　long　to　the　combatants；　the　contest　lies　in

observation；　so　keen　as　to　absorb　the　powers　of　mind　and　body；　and　yet

concealed　by　preparatory　feints　whose　slowness　and　apparent　prudence

seem　to　show　that　the　antagonists　are　not　intending　to　fight。　This

moment；　which　is　followed　by　a　rapid　and　decisive　struggle；　is

terrible　to　a　connoisseur。　At　a　bad　parry　from　Max　the　colonel　sent

the　sabre　spinning　from　his　hand。



〃Pick　it　up；〃　he　said；　pausing；　〃I　am　not　the　man　to　kill　a　disarmed

enemy。〃



There　was　something　atrocious　in　the　grandeur　of　these　words；　they

seemed　to　show　such　consciousness　of　superiority　that　the　onlookers

took　them　for　a　shrewd　calculation。　In　fact；　when　Max　replaced　himself

in　position；　he　had　lost　his　coolness；　and　was　once　more　confronted

with　his　adversary's　raised　guard　which　defended　the　colonel's　whole

person　while　it　menaced　his。　He　resolved　to　redeem　his　shameful　defeat

by　a　bold　stroke。　He　no　longer　guarded　himself；　but　took　his　sabre　in

both　hands　and　rushed　furiously　on　his　antagonist；　resolved　to　kill

him；　if　he　had　to　lose　his　own　life。　Philippe　received　a　sabre…cut

which　slashed　open　his　forehead　and　a　part　of　his　face；　but　he　cleft

Max's　head　obliquely　by　the　terrible　sweep　of　a　〃moulinet；〃　made　to

break　the　force　of　the　annihilating　stroke　Max　aimed　at　him。　These　two

savage　blows　ended　the　combat；　at　the　ninth　minute。　Fario　came　down　to

gloat　over　the　sight　of　his　enemy　in　the　convulsions　of　death；　for　the

muscles　of　a　man　of　Maxence　Gilet's　vigor　quiver　horribly。　Philippe

was　carried　back　to　his　uncle's　house。



Thus　perished　a　man　destined　to　do　great　deeds　had　he　lived