"Oh, have it your own way; I am too old a hand to argue with young gentlemen, . . . I have too much experience, thank you."--R.L. STEVENSON. Five minutes, ten minutes passed, after the farewells. Then, as I sauntered by on the other side of the way, I heard the sound of a foot on gravel, and Paolo di Nivoli appeared under the gate light. There he paused, expecting me to cross to him, but I allotted him the part of Mahomet and selected for myself that of the Mountain. Shrugging his square shoulders, he came striding over the road to me; and I had scored one small victory. I hoped that I might take it for an omen. "I do not understand the nature of this appointment, Monsieur," began the Italian. "I intended to send my friend Captain de Sales to you to----" "Ah, yes, that is the Continental way in these little affairs," I ventured to interrupt him coolly. "On our side of the Channel we are rather ignorant on such matters, I fear. But my young friend Mr. Laurence is an American." "Do you mean that he will refuse to fight, after insulting me?" asked Paolo, bristling. "Not at all. He is very young, and this will be his first duel. He may have misunderstood your intentions. But I gathered from him that you had said he would have to fight; that you then requested him to name a friend to whom you could send a friend of yours----" "This is the fact. There was no misunderstanding. He named you." "Yes; but as I said, he is an American." "What of that, since he will fight?" "As a duellist yourself, no doubt a successful one, you must be aware that such matters are conducted differently in the States." "I know nothing of that. I know only our own ways, which are good enough for me." "But my friend, being the challenged party, has the right, I believe, to choose the manner of duel." "That will be arranged between you and my friend, according to the choice of Mr. Laurence." "I must ask you to go slowly, just at this point. In the States, it is against the duelling code to have the details arranged by the friends of the principals. It is the principals themselves who do all that, and for the best of reasons. But as Mr. Laurence is a boy, and you are a man, it is but right that I should speak with you for him. You needn't send Captain de Sales to me. We are man to man, and in ten minutes we can have everything settled with fairness to both parties." "This is a new idea, Monsieur, and I confess it does not commend itself to me," said Paolo. "I suppose, however, you are anxious to fight?" "_Sacré bleu_, but yes. The little jackanapes called me a donkey, and he had the impudence to allude to my invention as a 'balloon,' adding that there was little to choose between it and my head. _Ciel!_ Do I wish to fight?"