"As you please, count; but neither sword nor pistol can force
me to forego my pretensions. Here is my card."

"And mine."

This rapid altercation was thus brought to an end by
the formal interchange of the names of the disputants.
On one of the cards was inscribed:
_Captain Hector Servadac,
Staff Officer, Mostaganem._

On the other was the title:
_Count Wassili Timascheff,
On board the Schooner "Dobryna."_

It did not take long to arrange that seconds should be appointed,
who would meet in Mostaganem at two o'clock that day;
and the captain and the count were on the point of parting
from each other, with a salute of punctilious courtesy,
when Timascheff, as if struck by a sudden thought, said abruptly:
"Perhaps it would be better, captain, not to allow the real
cause of this to transpire?"

"Far better," replied Servadac; "it is undesirable in every way
for any names to be mentioned."

"In that case, however," continued the count, "it will be
necessary to assign an ostensible pretext of some kind.
Shall we allege a musical dispute? a contention in which I