Cherami waited for the two men to come down the stairs; he stopped them as they passed, asked them into his room, and said to them: "I have a favor to ask of you, messieurs." The master, a tall, robust Auvergnat, replied, in the accent of his province: "A pail to fill?" "No." "Do you want some water?" "It is something out of your regular line. It will be a change for you." "We must serve our customers." "Listen to me first. If your customers should be served a little later than usual for once, it won't kill them. I have a duel to arrange for. Do you know what a duel is?" "It's a clock that strikes the hours, ain't it?" "You are a long way off." The apprentice, a young Piedmontese, nearly six feet tall, suddenly exclaimed: "Yes, yes, I know the vendetta, basta! I've seen friends who'd been out to fight with fists." "Your young man understands rather better; yes, a duel's a fight, but not with fists." "Where do you fight?" rejoined the Piedmontese. Cherami made a wry face, muttering: "Sapristi! I prefer the Auvergnat accent to that jargon.--Look you, messieurs, I just want you to be my seconds; I expect my opponent's seconds here at ten o'clock, and you must both be here then. I will give you a hundred sous each for the morning; and you will be free at half-past ten; for the fight will not come off till to-morrow, I fancy." "All right! five francs; all right!" "What have we got to do?" "In the first place, my boy, you will be good enough not to speak at all; for you have a way of pronouncing your t's and s's which will produce a very bad effect. Your master can say that you're a Pole, and that you don't know a word of French. That's your role, then--to say nothing. But I must dress you, my friends; I can't have seconds in short jackets. Do you own a coat, my boy?" "No, but I've got a much better jacket." "I don't want seconds in jackets. My landlady must have some coats that belonged to her late husband; we will get one of them. Have you a hat?" "I have a new cap." "How you run your words together! We'll find a hat somewhere in the house.--And you, master--what's your name?" "Michel." "Good! well, Michel, have you any good clothes?" "_Dame!_ I should say so; my new frock-coat--only three years old--which comes down to my heels." "Then I'll make an old soldier of you. You must put on a black stock. Go and dress. Put your cask in a safe place, and come back at once with your man, whom I will dress. Be here at half-past nine, and I will tell you what you have to do; it will be very simple. You will agree to whatever is proposed by the men who come here." "We will agree, if they'll pay for something to drink." "There's no question of taking anything to drink. However, I shall be here; I'll prompt you. Go, and make haste." "And the five francs?" "Here they are; I pay in advance; you see that I have confidence in you." "Oh! never fear; our word's sacred.--Come, Piedmontese. Let's go and take care of the cask."