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I've been at work in the hospital all day but I've been told this morning by somebody that he had come off without a scratch." "Not the same duel probably," growled moodily Lieut. D'Hubert, wiping his hands on a coarse towel. "Not the same. . . . What? Another. It would take the very devil to make me go out twice in one day." The surgeon looked narrowly at Lieut. D'Hubert.
Lieutenant D'Hubert, on the contrary, became very pale at the sound of the unsavoury word, then flushed pink to the roots of his fair hair. "But you can't go out to fight; you are under arrest, you lunatic," he objected, with angry scorn. "There's the garden.
Besides, General D'Hubert had been in this last instance too unwilling to confront death for the reaction of his anguish not to take the shape of a desire to kill. "And I have my two shots to fire yet," he added, pitilessly. General Feraud snapped-to his teeth, and his face assumed an irate, undaunted expression. "Go on!" he said, grimly.
General D'Hubert addressed them, speaking loud and distinctly, "Messieurs, I make it a point of declaring to you solemnly, in the presence of General Feraud, that our difference is at last settled for good. You may inform all the world of that fact." "A reconciliation, after all!" they exclaimed together. "Reconciliation? Not that exactly. It is something much more binding. Is it not so, General?"
"My dear Armand," she said, compassionately, "what could you want from that man?" "Nothing less than a life," answered General D'Hubert. "And I've got it. It had to be done. But I feel yet as if I could never forgive the necessity to the man I had to save." The passing away of the state of war, the only condition of society he had ever known, the horrible view of a world at peace, frightened him.
What do you think I want to be told for?" "I know it is not from idle curiosity," protested Lieut. D'Hubert. "I know you will act wisely. But what about the good fame of the regiment?" "It cannot be affected by any youthful folly of a lieutenant," said the colonel, severely. "No. It cannot be. But it can be by evil tongues.
"Ah, bah!" exclaimed D'Hubert ironically. His opinion of Madame de Lionne went down several degrees. Lieutenant Feraud did not seem to him specially worthy of attention on the part of a woman with a reputation for sensibility and elegance. But there was no saying. At bottom they were all alike very practical rather than idealistic.
"What adversary?" asked the younger, as if puzzled. "Don't you know? They were two hussars. At each promotion they fought a duel. Haven't you heard of the duel going on ever since 1801?" The other had heard of the duel, of course. Now he understood the allusion. General Baron D'Hubert would be able now to enjoy his fat king's favour in peace. "Much good may it do to him," mumbled the elder.
The colonel, who felt the need of being very diplomatic, fairly roared at this. "I want you to know, Lieutenant D'Hubert, that I could stand aside and see you all riding to Hades, if need be. I am a man to do even that, if the good of the service and my duty to my country required it from me. But that's unthinkable, so don't you even hint at such a thing."
Directly he had flung open the door a faint shriek was heard and the pretty maid, who had been listening at the keyhole, staggered away, putting the backs of her hands over her eyes. Feraud did not seem to see her, but she ran after him and seized his left arm. He shook her off, and then she rushed towards Lieut. D'Hubert and clawed at the sleeve of his uniform. "Wretched man!" she sobbed.
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