erect on a rigidly still body. </p> <p> General D&rsquo;Hubert uncocked the pistols carefully. This proceeding was observed with mixed feelings by the other general. &ldquo;You missed me twice,&rdquo; the victor said, coolly, shifting both pistols to one hand; &ldquo;the last time within a foot or so. By every rule of single combat your life belongs to me. That does not mean that I want to take it now.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;I have no use for your forbearance,&rdquo; muttered General Feraud, gloomily. </p> <p> &ldquo;Allow me to point out that this is no concern of mine,&rdquo; said General D&rsquo;Hubert, whose every word was dictated by a consummate delicacy of feeling. In anger he could have killed that man, but in cold blood he recoiled from humiliating by a show of generosity this unreasonable being&mdash;a fellow-soldier of the Grande Armee, a companion in the wonders and terrors of the great military epic. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t set up the pretension of dictating to me what I am to do with what&rsquo;s my own.&rdquo; </p> <p> General Feraud looked startled, and the other continued, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve forced me on a point of honour to keep my life at your disposal, as it were, for fifteen years. Very well. Now that the matter is decided to my advantage, I am going to do what I like with your life on the same principle. You shall keep it at my disposal as long as I choose. Neither more nor less. You are on your honour till I say the word.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;I am! But, sacrebleu! This is an absurd position for a General of the Empire to be placed in!&rdquo; cried General Feraud, in accents of profound and dismayed conviction. &ldquo;It amounts to sitting all the rest of my life with a loaded pistol in a drawer waiting for your word. It&rsquo;s&mdash;it&rsquo;s idiotic; I shall be an object of&mdash;of&mdash;derision.&rdquo; </p> <p> &ldquo;Absurd?&mdash;idiotic? Do you think so?&rdquo; queried General D&rsquo;Hubert with sly gravity. &ldquo;Perhaps. But I don&rsquo;t see how that can be helped. However, I am not likely to talk at large of this adventure. Nobody need ever know anything about it. Just as no one to this day, I believe, knows the origin of our quarrel. . . . Not a word more,&rdquo; he added, hastily. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t really discuss this question with a man who, as far as I am concerned, does not exist.&rdquo; </p> <p> When the two duellists came out into the open, General Feraud walking a little behind, and rather with the air of walking in a trance, the two seconds hurried towards them, each from his station at the edge of the wood. General D&rsquo;Hubert addressed them, speaking loud and distinctly,