When the punch was brought he filled the three glasses, pushed one before each of the Guards, and rose to his feet. "Your health, gentlemen!" he said, and then lifting his glass he continued: "You are military men--I have to fight to-morrow, and I haven't any one I can ask. I feel sure that you will act as seconds for me." One of the Guards looked full at M. de Villacourt, and then turned to his comrade. "We may as well, Gaillourdot; what do you say?" The other did not reply, but picking up his glass touched M. de Villacourt's with it. * * * * * "Well then, to-morrow morning at ten o'clock. Room 27." "Right!" answered the Guards. * * * * * The following morning, just as Denoisel was starting with Dardouillet to call on M. Boisjorand de Villacourt, his door-bell rang and the two Guards entered. As their mission was to accept everything, terms, weapons, and distances, the arrangements for the duel were soon made. Pistols were decided upon at a distance of thirty-five paces, both adversaries to be allowed to walk ten paces. Denoisel requested, in Henri's name, that the affair should be got over as quickly as possible. This was precisely what M. de Villacourt's seconds were about to ask, as they were supposed to be going to the theatre that evening, and were only free that day until midnight. A meeting was fixed for four o'clock at the Ville-d'Avray Lake. Denoisel next went to one of his friends who was a surgeon, and then to order a carriage for bringing home the wounded man. He called to see Henri, who was out; then went on to the shooting-gallery, where he found him, amusing himself with shooting at small bundles of matches hanging from a piece of string, at which he fired, setting the brimstone alight with the bullet. "Oh, that's nothing!" he said to Denoisel; "I fancy those matches get set on fire with the wind from the bullet; but look here!" and he showed him a cardboard target, in the first ring of which he had just put a dozen bullets. "It's to be to-day at four, as you wished," said Denoisel. "Good!" said Henri, giving his pistol to the man. "Look here," he continued, putting his fingers over two holes on the cardboard which were rather far away from the others; "if it were not for these two flukes this would be fit to frame. Oh, I'm glad it's arranged for to-day." He lifted his arm with the gesture of a man accustomed to shooting and just about to take aim, and then shook his hand about to get the blood into it again. "Only imagine," he continued, "that it had quite an effect on me--the idea of this affair--when I was in bed this morning. It's that deuced horizontal position; I don't fancy it's good for one's courage." They all lunched together at Denoisel's and then proceeded to smoke. Henri was cheerful and communicative, talking all the time. The surgeon arrived at the hour appointed, and they all four got into the carriage and drove off.