Bois was
almost deserted, but the light was still good enough (it will be
remembered that this was in the month of June) for the two adversaries
to fight with any weapon.

No one had spoken of the pistols. The young men proposed to get them at
an armorer's.

"No," said Roland, "Sir John has an excellent pair of duelling pistols
which I have already used. If he is not unwilling to fight with those
pistols I should prefer them to all others."

The young man who was now acting as Sir John's second went to him with
the three following questions: Whether the time and place suited him,
and whether he would allow his pistols to be used.

Lord Tanlay replied by regulating his watch by that of his second and by
handing him the box of pistols.

"Shall I call for you, my lord?" asked the young man.

Sir John smiled sadly.

"Needless," he replied; "you are M. de Montrevel's friend, and you will
find the drive pleasanter with him than with me. I will go on horseback
with my servant. You will find me on the ground."

The young officer carried this reply to Roland.

"What did I tell you?" observed Roland again.

It was then mid-day, there were still seven hours before them, and
Roland dismissed his friends to their various pleasures and occupations.
At half-past six precisely they were to be at his door with three horses
and two servants. It was necessary, in order to avoid interference, that
the trip should appear to be nothing more than an ordinary promenade.

At half-past six precisely the waiter informed Roland that his friends
were in the courtyard. Roland greeted them cordially and sprang into his
saddle. The party followed the boulevards as far as the Place Louis XV.
and then turned up the Champs Elysees. On the way the strange phenomenon
that had so much astonished Sir John at the time of Roland's duel with
M. de Barjols recurred. Roland's gayety might have been thought an
affectation had it not been so evidently genuine. The two young
men acting as seconds were of undoubted courage, but even they were
bewildered by such utter indifference. They might have understood it
had this affair been an ordinary duel, for coolness and dexterity insure
their possessor a great advantage over his adversary; but in a combat
like this to which they were going neither coolness nor dexterity would
avail to save the combatants, if not from death at least from some
terrible wound.

Furthermore, Roland urged on his horse like a ma