"Oh! dear no, at my brother's request, who heard of the matter at the Chancellor's house. I asked him what on earth they had to do in Paris with the affairs of an out-of-the-way little village in Corsica; but it seems the préfect mentioned it when he wrote to Paris, and said that if I were to say a word the whole thing would finish like a farce, by a marriage and a public recitation; so my brother took the hint, and replied he would answer for me. What could I do?" added the young man, throwing back his head proudly; "it shall never be said that a de Franchi passed his word for his brother, and that his brother did not fulfil the engagement." "And so you have arranged everything?" "I am afraid so." "And we shall see the chief of one of these two parties this evening, no doubt?" "Just so; last night I saw the other." "Are we going to see an Orlandi or a Colona?" "An Orlandi." "Is it far from here?" "In the ruins of the Castle of Vicentello d'Istria." "Ah! yes--they told me those ruins were close by." "Yes, they are about a league from here." "So in three-quarters of an hour we shall be there?" "Yes, in about that time." "Lucien," said Madame de Franchi, "remember you speak for yourself. For a mountaineer as you are it is scarcely three-quarters of an hour distance, but recollect that our guest may not be able to proceed so quickly." "That is true; we had better allow ourselves an hour and a half at least." "In that case you have no time to lose," said Madame de Franchi, as she glanced at the clock. "Mother," said Lucien as he rose, "you will excuse our leaving you, will you not?" She extended her hand to him, and the young man kissed it with the same respect as he had previously done. Then turning to me, Lucien said-- "If you prefer to finish your supper quietly, and to smoke your cigar afterwards----" "No, no!" I cried; "hang it, you have promised me a bandit, and I must have one." "Well, then, let us take our guns and be off." I bowed respectfully to Madame de Franchi, and we left the room, preceded by Griffo, who carried a light. Our preparations did not occupy us very long. I clasped a travelling belt round my waist, from which was suspended a sort of hunting-knife, and in the folds of which I carried powder and ball. Lucien soon re-appeared with his cartridge case, and carrying a double-barrelled Manton, and a sort of peaked cap, woven for him by some Penelope of Sullacaro. "Shall I go with your Excellency?" asked Griffo. "No, it will be useless," replied Lucien; "but you may as well loose Diamond, as we might put up a pheasant, and the moon is so clear we should be able to shoot as well as in daylight." An instant afterwards a great spaniel bounded out, and jumped joyously around its master. We had not gone many paces from the house when Lucien turned round and said-- "By-the-by, Griffo, tell them if they hear any shots on the mountain that it is we who have fired them." "Very well, your Excellency."