"I have brought this young man, messieurs, Monsieur Georget, because he is the fiance, the future husband of the young girl whom monsieur attempted to ruin. No one has a better right to be here than he, for the honor of the woman whom he is to marry is the motive of this duel. As for my other second, this honest fellow here, he is only a messenger, it is true, but it was he who saved the young flower girl when, driven to desperation by contemptuous treatment and humiliation, and by the thought of passing for what she was not, she was on the point of jumping into the canal and seeking an end to her suffering there. Do you not think, messieurs, that this honest fellow who brought back hope to Violette's heart, also has a right to be present at a battle which is to rehabilitate her honor? Come, messieurs, which of you will undertake to maintain the contrary, and will blush to have to deal with such seconds? Neither of you, I am sure!" Saint-Arthur and Astianax contented themselves with bowing low to Roncherolle, who continued: "Very good, everything is arranged; now, my adversary has the choice of weapons." "He chooses pistols," said Astianax. "Pistols it is; I have brought some." "So have we." "We will take yours, if you choose; it makes no difference to me. My adversary has the right to fire first also, I recognize that; you see that we shall have no difficulty. Let us go a little way into the woods, and have done with it." The whole party walked into the woods and stopped in a solitary place, where there was a clearing suitable for the duel. Astianax, having spoken to Jericourt, returned to Roncherolle and said: "Is fifteen paces satisfactory to you, monsieur?" "Ordinarily, the seconds would decide such matters among themselves; but no matter, that is satisfactory to me; mark off the distance and I will take my place." Astianax counted the paces, while Saint-Arthur leaned against a tree at a distance; as for Georget and Chicotin, Roncherolle was obliged to hold them back by his glance. Young Astianax, having finished measuring the distance, handed to each combatant a pistol, which he took from the box he had brought; then he stood aside, saying: "They are loaded; I believe there is nothing more for me to do now." "It is for you to begin, monsieur," said Roncherolle, bowing to Jericourt. Jericourt took a long aim, then fired; the ball from his pistol grazed his adversary's right side and made him turn slightly; Georget started to run to him, but Roncherolle motioned to him not to stir and speedily resumed his position, saying: "That was not bad, but it was not quite the thing." He fired almost instantly, and Jericourt, wounded in the breast, fell to the ground. The four seconds rushed at once to the assistance of the wounded man, who was already discharging blood through his mouth; and when he saw Georget, he said to him in a faint voice: "I lied--she is innocent--tell her that I confess, that----"