"Have you any cigars?" "Plenty of them, marquis." "Well, my dear Gerald, these gentlemen and I are dying to smoke. Won't you take us up to your rooms?" "Certainly," replied Gerald, gaily. "I have no engagement for this dance, so I have a quarter of an hour at my disposal." "That is all the time we shall need," said the hunchback, with a meaning look at Mornand and Ravil. "Come, gentlemen," he added, taking Gerald's arm and walking on ahead of the future minister and his friend. A minute or two afterwards the four gentlemen reached Gerald's apartments, which consisted of three rooms,--one, extremely large, on the third floor of the house. The young duke having politely begged Messieurs de Mornand and de Ravil to pass in first, M. de Maillefort, locking the door and slipping the key in his pocket, remarked to Gerald: "Allow me, my friend." "But why do you lock the door, M. le marquis," asked Gerald, greatly surprised. "So we shall not be disturbed," answered the hunchback, "but be able to smoke in peace." "You are certainly a very cautious man, M. le marquis," said Gerald, laughing, as he ushered the party into the furthermost room, which, being much larger than the others, served both as a sitting-room and study for the young duke. Upon one of the panels in this room hung a large shield covered with crimson velvet, on which quite a number of weapons were displayed. CHAPTER VI. THE DUEL. On seeing the Marquis de Maillefort lock the door of the apartment, M. de Mornand partially divined the hunchback's intentions, and any lingering doubts he may have felt were promptly dispelled when the marquis untied his cravat and hastily divested himself of both coat and waistcoat, to the great astonishment of Gerald, who had just turned to approach him with an open box of cigars in his hand. Almost at the same instant, the marquis, pointing to two swords hanging with the other weapons on the shield, said to the young man: "My dear Gerald, have the goodness to measure those swords with M. de Ravil, and give the longest to my adversary if there is any difference in them. You know the proverb, 'Hunchbacks have long arms.'" "What!" exclaimed Gerald, in profound astonishment, "those swords?" "Certainly, my friend. This is the situation in two words. That gentleman (pointing to Mornand) has just been extremely impertinent to me. He refused to apologise, and the time has now passed when I would accept any apology, even if he would consent to make it. There is consequently nothing for us to do but fight. You will act as my second; M. de Ravil will act in the same capacity for M. de Mornand, and we will settle our differences here and now." Then, turning to his antagonist, the marquis added: "Come, monsieur, off with your coat. Gerald has only a quarter of an hour to spare, and we must make the most of it."