CHAPTER VI.

Arrived at the inn, the Gascon insists upon fighting the attorney-Sans-Chagrin endeavours to settle the affair-A scuffle-We sup, and proceed towards Lyons.

AS the Diligence was not permitted to stop for more than two hours, we alight at once at the great gate of the inn. No sooner had the Gascon set his foot on the

ground, than, taking the attorney very politely by the hand, and drawing him on one side, he said to him: "I now hope, "Sir, that you are ready to give me im"mediate satisfaction for the outrage you "have committed upon me. Behind this "house there is no doubt a garden, or "some other commodious place for us to

put an end to the affair in; so I"...

"Sir! Sir!" replied the attorney; "if

66 you are determined to have an affair "with me, here are justices of the peace "to be had---men of the law---go and lay

your complaint before them---let them "appoint the time and the place, and I "will meet you before them and answer you." "S'blood, Sir !" returned the Gascon, "do you think to banter me with "such ridiculous pretences. Mark me,

my little gentleman! when I have af"fairs of this kind on my hands, I am, "myself, lawyer and justice. I am the "master of my own actions, and I now "summon you to meet me in single.com"bat in the garden, in one quarter of an "hour; I will go immediately to wait for

you at the place of rendezvous. Take "care---don't fail if you have any regard for your life...-I go."

In effect, he went straight to the gar den, while the attorney, trembling and not knowing how to propitiate him, or what Deity to invoke to his relief, came and supplicated me with the tears in his eyes

to deliver him from this bloody-minded ducllist. "What would you have me to "do with him ?” said I. "Come and

apply to my friends; we will put our "heads together, and exert ourselves to "devise some means or other to accom❝modate this most unfortunate affair." Somewhat relieved by these words, he joined me and we followed the company, who had by this time entered the inn, and who, in consequence of the activity of Sans-Chagrin, were already preparing for supper. I related to them the piteous condition to which the inflexible courage of the Gascon had reduced the terrified attorney, and I earnestly besought them all round to extricate the unhappy man from this dreadful dilemma. Sans-Chagrin, who was arranging the order of our repast, and who, besides, was very unwilling to quit the young widow, desired us all to follow him into the dining-room and there to wait, without any fear, for dinner. "But recollect," said I," that the Gas

"con is now in the garden, and is very impatient for his adversary to meet " him." "No matter," he replied--

"I intend that nobody shall leave this

room, and above all I forbid Mr. at66 torney to leave it---and I take upon my"self to answer for him whenever his 66 enemy shall appear." Having said this, he took his seat in a corner of the room, and resumed the thread of his conversation with the young widow. The attorney, to whom the assurance of Sans-Chagrin had imparted a little resolution, placed himself by my side, while Linval amused himself with some light chat with the devotee. Thus seated in couples we waited, each of us prattling in our own way, for the return of the redoubtable Gascon,

Scarcely had half an hour elapsed when we saw him enter the room where we were all thus assembled. Fury flashed from his eyes; he cast them round the company with eager rapidity, and fixing them all

at once upon the attorney, he cried out in a tragi-comic tone..." Is it thus then, "wretch that you are, you make good your assignation? Is it thus that, abusing my credulity, you have, without

66

pity or compassion, kept me walking "like a centinel in the garden? Do you "take me for a man to overlook such an injury, or imagine that I am one who "can ever forgive it? Answer me direct

ly---say, why did you not come ?---For "what reason?---Why ?--- Wherefore ?” Why!--wherefore !"---repeated SansChagrin, who on the entrance of the Gascon had broken off his conversation with the widow..." because I forbid him to "leave this." "How, Sir"---replied the Gascon, turning round to him with seeming astonishment-.-" is it you then "that have been the cause of this man's

breaking his word ?" "Even I---I my"self," said Sans-Chagrin firmly. "The "more deeply am I concerned at it," returned the Gascon, "for I believed you "to be, as much as myself, one of those