an enjoyable quarter of an hour there, I promise you."

"You will not do that," said Dorsenne, quickly. "First, with regard to
official honor, there is only one law, is there not? Hafner was
acquitted and his adversaries condemned. You told me so the other
day.... And then, you forget the conversation we just had."

"Pardon," interrupted Florent, in his turn. "Monsieur de Montfanon, in
promising to assist me, has done me a great honor, which I shall never
forget. If there should result from it any annoyance to him I should be
deeply grieved, and I am ready to release him from his promise."

"No," said the Marquis, after another silence. "I will not take it
back.".... He was so magnanimous when his two or three hobbies were not
involved that the slightest delicacy awoke an echo in him. He again
extended his hand to Chapron and continued, but with an accent which
betrayed suppressed irritation: "After all, it does not concern us if
Monsieur Gorka has chosen to be represented in an affair of honor by one
whom he should not even salute.... You will, then, give our two names to
those two gentlemen.... and Dorsenne and I will await them, as is the
rule.... It is their place to come, since they are the proxies of the
person insulted."

"They have already arranged a meeting for this evening," replied
Chapron.

"What's arranged? With whom? For whom?" exclaimed Montfanon, a prey to
a fresh access of choler. "With you?.... For us?.... Ah, I do not like
such conduct where such grave matters are concerned.... The code is
absolute on that subject.... Their challenge once made, to which you,