"I am fairly caught. I attempted to be good-natured, as you requested, in order to put an end to the discussion and to get rid of this old lunatic. I said everything that he tried to make me say, and now his caprice is taking another flight, in which I cannot follow it. It is all my fault; I ought to have told you, immediately on leaving his house, that he has been mad for two days; witness the fact that he asked for Madame de Beuvre's hand yesterday, as others can tell you, and that all this day he has been inventing the most extraordinary fables concerning his brother's death, taking sometimes me, sometimes his mute, sometimes his little dog for the murderer. I was unable to avoid coming to blows with him except by inventing tales which served as small change for his; but he did not calm down until you arrived." "Why didn't you tell me all this?" exclaimed Guillaume. "I did not wish to complain of the vexations I had endured in his company; you would have thought that I meant to reproach you for leaving me there. Now, there is only one way to have done with it. Let me fight With him." "With an old man and a madman? I cannot permit it." "Come, come, Guillaume," exclaimed Bois-Doré, impatiently, "are you ready now to let me avenge my wrongs, and must I do Monsieur d'Alvimar the honor of striking him, in order to rouse him?" "We are at your service, monsieur," replied D'Alvimar, shrugging his shoulders. "Come, my dear fellow," he said in a low tone to Guillaume, "you see that it must be! Don't be afraid! I will soon bring this old automaton to reason, and I promise you to strike his sword out of his hand as many times as you please. I will undertake to tire him out so effectually that he will want to hurry home and go to bed, and to-morrow we will laugh over the adventure." Guillaume was reassured by his merriment. "I am glad to find you in the proper mood," he said in an undertone, "and I warn you that in putting forth your skill with yonder old man, you would not act a gallant part, and would cause me great pain. I believe that he is mad, but that is an additional reason for using your science with moderation and sending him home with no greater hurt than lame muscles." Guillaume knew, however, that Bois-Doré was very strong in fencing, But his was an antiquated method which younger men disdained, and he knew, also, that while the marquis's wrist was still supple, he was not firm enough on his legs to hold out more than two or three minutes. Moreover, D'Alvimar was exceedingly expert; so he constantly exhorted him to magnanimity. The champions having dismounted, the servants were left in the road to watch the horses and the prisoner, Sancho, whom Guillaume ordered them not to set free until the duel was at an end, in order that the difficulties of the situation might not be complicated by unexpected interference from any quarter.