and lift it up." So I said to the gunner "Come and lift it up then!"
"That will be easy!" he replied. Then, at another whisper from
Pertelay, "I'd like to see you do it!" I said. On these words, the
gunner, or this Goliath, for he was at least six feet tall, sat up
straight with a threatening air... But my mentor pushed himself
between him and me. All the gunners who were in the garden came to
support their comrade, but a crowd of Hussars gathered beside
Pertelay and me. There was a lot of angry shouting with everyone
talking at once; I thought there was going to be a general melée.
However as the Hussars were in a majority of at least two to one,
they took the matter the more calmly, while the gunners realised that
if they started something they would get the worst of it, so in the
end the giant was made to understand that in brushing his foot with
my scabbard, I had in no way insulted him, and that should be the end
of the matter.

During the tumult, however, a trumpeter from the artillery, of
about twenty years of age, had offered me some insults, and in my
indignation I had pushed him so roughly that he had fallen into a
muddy ditch. It was agreed that this lad and I should fight a duel
with our sabres.

We left the garden, followed by all the assistants, and found
ourselves by the edge of the sea, on fine solid sand, ready for
battle. Pertelay knew that I was quite a good swordsman; however he
gave me some words of advice on how I should attack my adversary, and
fastened the hilt of my sabre to my hand with a large handkerchief,
which he rolled round my arm.

My father hated duelling. Not only because of his own conclusions