e much interested in their game
must have every consideration, and he quite deserved to be reminded
that he was obstinately planting himself in a place where he could not
but put the Baron out in his play.

The Baron went further. He spoke of the circumstance that in life
temporary difficulties often come upon people of education in the most
trying manner, and he gave him pretty clearly to understand that he
was ready to pay him back the money he had won from him, or more, if
necessary, should that be likely to be of any assistance to him.

"My dear sir," said the Stranger, "you suppose that I am pressed for
money. Strictly speaking, I am not. Although I am rather a poor man
than a rich, I have enough for my little requirements. And you will see
in a moment, if you consider, that if you should suppose you could
atone for an insult to me by offering me a sum of money, I could not
accept it, even as a mere ordinary man of honour. And I am a
Chevalier."

"I think I understand you," said the Baron; "I am quite ready to give
you satisfaction in the way you mean."

"Oh, good heavens!" the Stranger said; "what a very unequal affair a
fight would be between us. I feel sure that, like myself, you do not
look upon the duel as a mere piece of childish fanfaronade, nor
consider that a drop or two of blood--perhaps from a scratched
finger--can wash a stained honour white again. No, no! there are plenty
of causes which render it impossible for two men to go on existing on
this earth at the same time. Although one of them may be on the
Caucasus and the other on the Tiber, there is no separation between
them so long as the notion of the existence of the hated one subsists.
In a case like that the duel, which is to decide the question which of
those two is to make way on this earth for the other, is a positive
necessity. But between _us_ a duel, as I said, would be one-sided,
since my life is nothing like as valuable as yours. If I killed you I
should destroy a whole world of the fairest hopes. But if I fell, you
would end a miserable existence, marred by the most bitter and painful
memories. However, the chief point is that I do not consider myself in
the smallest degree offended. You told me to go, and I went."

He spoke the latter words in a tone which betrayed his inward
mortification, which was sufficient reason for the Baron to apologise
to him once more, laying special weight on the circumstance that the
Stranger's gaze see