"Very good, madame," he said. "You are at liberty. I know with whom I have to reckon." "If you refer to me, sir," replied Louis de Franchi with an air of hauteur impossible to describe, "you will find me all day to-morrow at the Rue du Helder, No. 7." "Very well, monsieur. Perhaps I shall not have the pleasure to call upon you myself, but I hope that two friends of mine may be as cordially received in my place." "That was all that was necessary," said Louis, shrugging his shoulders disdainfully. "A challenge before a lady! Come, madame," he continued, offering his arm. "Believe me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the honour you do me." And then they left the room, amidst the most profound silence. "Well, gentlemen, so it seems I have lost," said Chateau Renaud, when the door closed. "That's all settled! To-morrow evening all of you sup with me at the Frères Provençaux." CHAPTER XIV. THE next day, or rather the same day, at ten o'clock, I called upon M. Louis de Franchi. As I was ascending the staircase, I met two young men coming down. One was evidently a civilian, the other wore the Legion of Honour, and though in _mufti_ I could see he was an officer. I had, no doubt, that these gentlemen had just been with M. de Franchi, and I watched them downstairs. Then I continued my way to Louis' apartments and rang the bell. The servant opened the door. His master was in his study. When the man announced me, Louis, who was writing, looked up and exclaimed-- "Ah, welcome! I was just writing to you. I am very glad to see you. Joseph, I am not at home to any one." The servant went out and left us alone. "Didn't you meet two gentlemen upon the stairs?" asked Louis, as he placed a chair. "Yes, one of them was decorated." "The same." "I fancied they had called upon you." "You are quite right." "Did they come on behalf of M. de Chateau Renaud?" "They are his seconds." "Ah! so he has taken this matter seriously it seems." "He could scarcely do otherwise," replied Louis. "So they came to----." "To request me to name two friends who would confer with them; I thought of you." "I am really honoured by your kindness. But I cannot go alone." "I have also written to ask an old friend, the Baron Giordano Martelli, to breakfast here. He will come at eleven. We will breakfast together, and at twelve, perhaps, you will be kind enough to go and see these gentlemen who have promised to remain at home until three o'clock. Here are their names and addresses." Louis handed me two cards as he spoke. One card represented the Baron René de Chateaugrand, the other M. Adrien de Boissy. The former lived in the Rue de la Paix, No. 12. The latter, who I now saw, belonged to the army, was a lieutenant of Chasseurs d'Afrique, and lived in the Rue de Lille, No. 29. I turned the cards over and over in my fingers. "Well, what embarrasses you?" asked Louis.