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Updated: June 2, 2025
The travellers, anxious to leave the scene of the quarrel, rushed to the door. "Pardon me, sir," said Alfred de Barjols to Roland, "you do not go by diligence, I hope?" "No, sir, I travel by post; but you need have no fear; I shall not depart." "Nor I," said the Englishman. "Have them unharness my horses; I shall remain."
I exchanged a friendly glance with Barjols and a polite nod with the Abbe de Rians who were present, and, with a profound bow to the assembled company, withdrew. It was only a little thing, but it took me fifteen hours; hence the delay. I thought it preferable to leaving a false conception of us in our wake. Have I done well, my masters?" The gathering burst into bravos.
At this moment the landlord appeared upon the thresh-hold of the door. "The post-chaise is ready," said he. The general took his hat and his cane, which he had laid upon the chair. Roland, on the contrary, followed him bareheaded, that all might see plainly he did not intend to leave with his friend. Alfred de Barjols, therefore, offered no opposition to his leaving the room.
Though he may be a robber, after the fashion of Karl Moor, your friend Morgan was it not Morgan that this honest citizen called himself?" "Yes," said the Englishman. "Well, your friend Morgan is none the less a thief." Citizen Alfred de Barjols turned very pale. "Citizen Morgan is not my friend," replied the young aristocrat; "but if he were I should feel honored by his friendship."
Where the devil did these idiots of shepherds get the tale that Virgil related in such noble verse to Augustus and Mecaenas?" He remained pensive an instant, his eyes bent upon the azure depths, then turning to Sir John: "They say that, no matter how vigorous the swimmer, none has ever returned from this abyss. Perhaps were I to try it, my lord, it might be surer than M. de Barjols' bullet.
I am very glad." "That will explain why I undertook, rather too warmly perhaps, my general's defence." "No, not too warmly; only, the plate " "Oh, I know well that the provocation did not entail that plate. But what would you have me do! I held it in my hand, and, not knowing what to do with it, I threw it at M. de Barjols' head; it went of itself without any will of mine."
During this time M. de Valensolle picked up the pistol which had escaped from his friend's hand, and brought it, together with the box, to Sir John. "Well?" asked the Englishman, motioning toward Alfred de Barjols with his eyes. "He is dead," replied the second.
Roland's adversary was already at his post, hat and cloak removed. The surgeon and the two seconds stood aside. The spot had been so well chosen that neither had any advantage of sun or ground. Roland tossed off hat and coat, stationed himself forty paces from M. de Barjols, facing him. Both, one to right the other to the left, cast a glance at the same horizon.
But as the next chair was occupied by citizen Alfred de Barjols, who had no reason to fear these men whom he had just praised so highly, the chair of the stout man's wife encountered an obstacle in the immovability of the young noble; so, as at Marengo, eight or nine months later, when the general in command judged it time to resume the offensive, the retrograde movement was arrested.
I ask you, on your word of honor, Sir John, to promise that, wounded or dying, M. de Barjols' surgeon shall not be allowed to touch me." "But suppose, M. Roland " "Take it or leave it. Your word of honor, my lord, or devil take me if I fight at all." The Englishman again looked curiously at the young man. His face was livid, and his limbs quivered as though in extreme terror.
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