the patched-up truce was only a temporary one. Feeling still ran
high. A few minutes later, de Beauvallon picked another quarrel with
Dujarier, this time complaining that he had neglected to publish a
feuilleton of his, _Memoires de M. Montholon_, that had been accepted
by him. As was to be expected, the result of pestering the sub-editor
at such a moment was to receive the sharp response that he "must wait
his turn, and that, in the meantime, there were more important authors
than himself to be considered."

With the idea of calming frayed nerves, somebody suggested that they
should all adjourn for a flutter at lansquenet, then ousting ecarte.
The proposal was accepted; and, the revellers having settled down,
Saint-Agnan, having the best-lined wallet, took the bank.

Fortune did not smile on Dujarier. The luck seemed against him; and,
when the party broke up in the small hours, he was a couple of
thousand francs to the bad. Worse than this, he was unable to settle
his losses until he had borrowed the necessary billets from the head
waiter. As a result, his temper was soured, his nerves on edge.
Accordingly, when de Beauvallon was tactless enough to upset him
again, he "answered somewhat abruptly."

This, however, was not all. The "wine being in, the wit was out." A
woman's name cropped up, that of a certain Madame Albert, a young
actress in whose affections Dujarier had, before Lola Montez appeared
on the scene, been ousted by de Beauvallon. The recollection rankled,
and he made some sneering reference to the subject. With an obvious
effort, the other kept his temper and curtly remarking, "You will hear
from me to-morrow, Monsieur," left the restaurant.

II

"It might have been thought," is the comment of Larousse, "that, with
the fever of the wine abated, these happenings and the recollection of
the indecorous words accompanying them would, by the next morning,
have been forgotten."

But they were not forgotten. They were remembered. On the following
afternoon, while Dujarier was in his office, lamenting the fact that
he had made such a fool of himself, and wondering how he was to
explain matters to Lola, two visitors were announced. One of them was
the Comte de Flers and the other was the Vicomte d'Ecquevillez. With
ceremonious bows, they stated the purport of their call. This was that
they represented de Beauvallon, who "demanded satisfaction for the
insults he had received from M. Dujarier."

The quarrel