the black robe- 第3部分

home。〃　I　lent　the　poor　wretch　five　francs。　He　smiled　faintly　as



he　looked　at　the　money。　〃It　reminds　me；〃　he　said；　〃of　my　last



transaction；　when　I　borrowed　of　that　gentleman　there；　who　is



betting　on　the　General's　luck　at　the　card　table。　Beware　of



employing　him　as　I　did。　What　do　you　think　I　got　for　my　note　of



hand　of　four　thousand　francs？　A　hundred　bottles　of　champagne；



fifty　bottles　of　ink；　fifty　bottles　of　blacking；　three　dozen



handkerchiefs；　two　pictures　by　unknown　masters；　two　shawls；　one



hundred　maps；　_and_five　francs。〃







We　went　on　playing。　My　luck　deserted　me；　I　lost；　and　lost；　and



lost　again。　From　time　to　time　I　looked　round　at　the　card　table。



The　〃deal〃　had　fallen　early　to　the　General；　and　it　seemed　to　be



indefinitely　prolonged。　A　heap　of　notes　and　gold　（won　mainly　from



Romayne；　as　I　afterward　discovered）　lay　before　him。　As　for　my



neighbor；　the　unhappy　possessor　of　the　bottles　of　blacking；　the



pictures　by　unknown　masters；　and　the　rest　of　it；　he　won；　and　then



rashly　presumed　on　his　good　fortune。　Deprived　of　his　last



farthing；　he　retired　into　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　consoled



himself　with　a　cigar。　I　had　just　arisen；　to　follow　his　example；



when　a　furious　uproar　burst　out　at　the　card　table。







I　saw　Romayne　spring　up；　and　snatch　the　cards　out　of　the



General's　hand。　〃You　scoundrel！〃　he　shouted；　〃you　are　cheating！〃



The　General　started　to　his　feet　in　a　fury。　〃You　lie！〃　he　cried。　I



attempted　to　interfere；　but　Romayne　had　already　seen　the



necessity　of　controlling　himself。　〃A　gentleman　doesn't　accept　an



insult　from　a　swindler；〃　he　said；　coolly。　〃Accept　this；　then！〃



the　General　answeredand　spat　on　him。　In　an　instant　Romayne



knocked　him　down。







The　blow　was　dealt　straight　between　his　eyes：　he　was　a　gross



big…boned　man；　and　he　fell　heavily。　For　the　time　he　was　stunned。



The　women　ran；　screaming；　out　of　the　room。　The　peaceable



Commander　trembled　from　head　to　foot。　Two　of　the　men　present；



who；　to　give　them　their　due；　were　no　cowards；　locked　the　doors。



〃You　don't　go；〃　they　said；　〃till　we　see　whether　he　recovers　or



not。〃　Cold　water；　assisted　by　the　landlady's　smelling　salts；



brought　the　General　to　his　senses　after　a　while。　He　whispered



something　to　one　of　his　friends；　who　immediately　turned　to　me。



〃The　General　challenges　Mr。　Romayne；〃　he　said。　〃As　one　of　his



seconds；　I　demand　an　appointment　for　to…morrow　morning。〃　I



refused　to　make　any　appointment　unless　the　doors　were　first



unlocked；　and　we　were　left　free　to　depart。　〃Our　carriage　is



waiting　outside；〃　I　added。　〃If　it　returns　to　the　hotel　without



us；　there　will　be　an　inquiry。〃　This　latter　consideration　had　its



effect。　On　their　side；　the　doors　were　opened。　On　our　side；　the



appointment　was　made。　We　left　the　house。







IV。







IN　consenting　to　receive　the　General's　representative；　it　is



needless　to　say　that　I　merely　desired　to　avoid　provoking　another



quarrel。　If　those　persons　were　really　impudent　enough　to　call　at



the　hotel；　I　had　arranged　to　threaten　them　with　the　interference



of　the　police；　and　so　to　put　an　end　to　the　matter。　Romayne



expressed　no　opinion　on　the　subject；　one　way　or　the　other。　His



conduct　inspired　me　with　a　feeling　of　uneasiness。　The　filthy



insult　of　which　he　had　been　made　the　object　seemed　to　be　rankling



in　his　mind。　He　went　away　thoughtfully　to　his　own　room。　〃Have　you



nothing　to　say　to　me？〃　I　asked。　He　only　answered：　〃Wait　till



to…morrow。〃







The　next　day　the　seconds　appeared。







I　had　expected　to　see　two　of　the　men　with　whom　we　had　dined。　To



my　astonishment；　the　visitors　proved　to　be　officers　of　the



General's　regiment。　They　brought　proposals　for　a　hostile　meeting



the　next　morning；　the　choice　of　weapons　being　left　to　Romayne　as



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；　ther