the black robe-第4章

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the　challenged　man。







It　was　now　quite　plain　to　me　that　the　General's　peculiar　method



of　card…playing　had；　thus　far；　not　been　discovered　and　exposed。



He　might　keep　doubtful　company；　and　might　（as　I　afterward　heard）



be　suspected　in　certain　quarters。　But　that　he　still　had；



formally…speaking；　a　reputation　to　preserve；　was　proved　by　the



appearance　of　the　two　gentlemen　present　as　his　representatives。



They　declared；　with　evident　sincerity；　that　Romayne　had　made　a



fatal　mistake；　had　provoked　the　insult　offered　to　him；　and　had



resented　it　by　a　brutal　and　cowardly　outrage。　As　a　man　and　a



soldier；　the　General　was　doubly　bound　to　insist　on　a　duel。　No



apology　would　be　accepted；　even　if　an　apology　were　offered。







In　this　emergency；　as　I　understood　it；　there　was　but　one　course



to　follow。　I　refused　to　receive　the　challenge。







Being　asked　for　my　reasons；　I　found　it　necessary　to　speak　within



certain　limits。　Though　we　knew　the　General　to　be　a　cheat；　it　was



a　delicate　matter　to　dispute　his　right　to　claim　satisfaction；



when　he　had　found　two　officers　to　carry　his　message。　I　produced



the　seized　cards　（which　Romayne　had　brought　away　with　him　in　his



pocket）；　and　offered　them　as　a　formal　proof　that　my　friend　had



not　been　mistaken。







The　secondsevidently　prepared　for　this　circumstance　by　their



principaldeclined　to　examine　the　cards。　In　the　first　place；



they　said；　not　even　the　discovery　of　foul　play　（supposing　the



discovery　to　have　been　really　made）　could　justify　Romayne's



conduct。　In　the　second　place；　the　General's　high　character　made



it　impossible；　under　any　circumstances；　that　he　could　be



responsible。　Like　ourselves；　he　had　rashly　associated　with　bad



company；　and　he　had　been　the　innocent　victim　of　an　error　or　a



fraud；　committed　by　some　other　person　present　at　the　table。







Driven　to　my　last　resource；　I　could　now　only　base　my　refusal　to



receive　the　challenge　on　the　ground　that　we　were　Englishmen；　and



that　the　practice　of　dueling　had　been　abolished　in　England。　Both



the　seconds　at　once　declined　to　accept　this　statement　in



justification　of　my　conduct。







〃You　are　now　in　France；〃　said　the　elder　of　the　two；　〃where　a　duel



is　the　established　remedy　for　an　insult；　among　gentlemen。　You　are



bound　to　respect　the　social　laws　of　the　country　in　which　you　are



for　the　time　residing。　If　you　refuse　to　do　so；　you　lay　yourselves



open　to　a　public　imputation　on　your　courage；　of　a　nature　too



degrading　to　be　more　particularly　alluded　to。　Let　us　adjourn　this



interview　for　three　hours　on　the　ground　of　informality。　We　ought



to　confer　with　_two_　gentlemen；　acting　on　Mr。　Romayne's　behalf。



Be　prepared　with　another　second　to　meet　us；　and　reconsider　your



decision　before　we　call　again。〃







The　Frenchmen　had　barely　taken　their　departure　by　one　door；　when



Romayne　entered　by　another。







〃I　have　heard　it　all；〃　he　said；　quietly。　〃Accept　the　challenge。〃









I　declare　solemnly　that　I　left　no　means　untried　of　opposing　my



friend's　resolution。　No　man　could　have　felt　more　strongly



convinced



　than　I　did；　that　nothing　could　justify　the　course　he　was　taking。



My　remonstrances　were　completely　thrown　away。　He　was　deaf　to



sense　and　reason；　from　the　moment　when　he　had　heard　an　imputation



on　his　courage　suggested　as　a　possible　result　of　any　affair　in



which　he　was　concerned。







〃With　your　views；〃　he　said；　〃I　won't　ask　you　to　accompany　me　to



the　ground。　I　can　easily　find　French　seconds。　And　mind　this；　if



you　attempt　to　prevent　the　meeting；　the　duel　will　take　place



elsewhereand　our　friendship　is　at　an　end　from　that　moment。〃







After　this；　I　suppose　it　is　needless　to　add　that　I　accompanied



him　to　the　ground　the　next　morning　as　one　of　his　seconds。







V。







WE　were　punctual　to　the　appointed　houreight　o'clock。







The　second　who　acted　with　me　was　a　French　gentleman；　a　relative



of　one　of　the　officers　who　had　brought　the　challenge。　At　his



suggestion；　we　had　chosen　the　pistol　as　our　weapon。　Romayne；　like



most　Englishmen　at　the　present　time；　knew　nothing　of　the　use　of



the　sword。　He　was　almost　equally　inexperienced　with　the　pistol。







Our　opponents　were　late。　They　kept　us　waiting　for　more　than　ten



minutes。　It　was　not　pleasant　weather　to　wait　in。　The　day　had



dawned　damp　and　drizzling。　A　thick　white　fog　was　slowly　rolling



in　on　us　from　the　sea。







When　they　did　appear；　the　General　was　not　among　them。　A　tall；



well…dressed　young　man　saluted　Romayne　with　stern　courtesy；　and



said　to　a　stranger　who　accompanied　him：　〃Explain　the



circumstances。〃







The　stranger　proved　to　be　a　surgeon。　He　entered　at　once　on　the



necessary　explanation。　The　General　was　too　ill　to　appear。　He　had



been　attacked　that　morning　by　a　fitthe　consequence　of　the　blow



that　he　had　received。　Under　these　circumstances；　his　eldest　son



（Maurice）　was　now　on　the　ground　to　fight　the　duel　on　his　father's



behalf；　attended　by　the　General's　seconds；　and　with　the　General's



full　approval。







We　instantly　refused　to　allow　the　duel　to　take　place；　Romayne



loudly　declaring　that　he　had　no　quarrel　with　the　General's　son。



Upon　this；　Maurice　broke　away　from　his　seconds；　drew　off　one　of



his　gloves；　and　stepping　close　up　to　Romayne；　struck　him　on　the



face　with　the　glove。　〃Have　you　no　quarrel　with　me　now？〃　the　young



Frenchman　asked。　〃Must　I　spit　on　you；　as　my　father　did？〃　His



seconds　dragged　him　away；　and　apologized　to　us　for　the　outbreak。



But　the　mischief　was　done。　Romayne's　fiery　temper　flashed　in　his



eyes。　〃Load　the　pistols；〃　he　said。　After　the　insult　publicly



offered　to　him；　and　the　outrage　publicly　threatened；　there　was　no



other　course　to　take。







It　had　been　left　to　us　to　produce　the　pistols。　We　therefore



requested　the　seconds　of　our　opponent　to　examine　and　to　load



them。　While　this　was　being　done；　the　advancing　sea…fog　so



completely　enveloped　us　that　the　duelists　were　unable　to　see　each



other。　We　were　obliged　to　wait　for　the　chance　of　a　partial



clearing　in　the　atmosphere。　Romayne's　temper　had　become　calm



again。　The　generosity　of　his　nature　spoke　in　the　words　which　he



now　addressed　to　his　seconds。　〃After　all；〃　he　said；　〃the　young



man　is　a　good　sonhe　is　bent　on　redressing　what　he　believes　to



be　his　father's　wrong。　Does　his　flipping　his　glove　in　my　face



matter　to　me？　I　think　I　shall　fire　in　the　air。〃







　〃I　shall　refuse　to　act　as　your　second　if　you　do；〃　answered　the



French　gentleman　who　was　assisting　us。　〃The　General's　son　is



famous　for　his　skill　with　the　pistol。　If　you　didn't　see　it　in　his



face　just　now；　I　didhe　means　to　kill　you。　Defend　your　life；



sir！〃　I　spoke　quite　as　strongly；　to　the　same　purpose；　when　my



turn　came。　Romayne　yieldedhe　placed　himself　unreservedly　in　our



hands。







In　a　quarter　of　an　hour　the　fog　lifted　a　little。　We　measured　the



distance；　having　previously　arranged　（at　my　suggestion）　that　the



two　men　should　both　fire　at　the　same　moment；　at　a　given　signal。



Romayne's　composure；　as　they　faced　each　other；　was；　in　a　man　of



his　irritable　nervous　temperament；　really　wonderful。　I　placed　him



sidewise；　in　a　position　which　in　some　degree　lessened　his　danger；



by　lessening　the　surface　exposed　to　the　bullet。　My　French



colleague　put　the　pistol　into　his　hand；　and　gave　him　the　last



word　of　advice。　〃Let　your　arm　hang　loosely　down；　with　the　barrel



of　the　pistol　pointing　straight　to　the　ground。　When　you　hear　the



signal；　only　lift　your　arm　as　far　as　the　elbow；　keep　the　elbow



pressed　against　your　sideand　fire。〃　We　could　do