osed, and by skilfully changing the topic of conversation, averted
further unpleasantness.

My desire to learn something accurately as to the state of events made
me anxious to reach my quarters, and I took the first opportunity of
quitting the _salon_. As I passed through the outer room, Duchesne
was standing against a sideboard, holding a glass in his hand. It was
necessary that I should pass him closely, and I was preparing to salute
him with the distant courtesy of our present acquaintance, when he said,
in his former tone of easy raillery,--

"Going so early? Won't you have a glass of wine before you leave?"

"No, I thank you," said I, coldly, and going on towards the door.

"Nor wait for the concert; Grassini will be here in half an hour?"

I shook my head in negation; and as I passed out I heard him humming,
with an emphasis which there was no mistaking, the couplet of a popular
song of the day which concluded thus,--

"To-day for me; To-morrow for thee,--But will that to-morrow ever be?"

That Duchesne intended to challenge me seemed now almost certain; and I
ran over in my mind the few names of those I could ask to be my friends
on such an occasion, but without being able to satisfy myself on the
subject. A moment's recollection might have taught me that it was a
maxim with the chevalier never to send a message, but in every case
to make the adversary the aggressor; he had told me so over and over
himself. That, however, did not occur to me at the moment, and I walked
onward, thinking of our meeting. Could I have known what was passing in
_his_ mind, I should have spared many serious and some sad thoughts to
my own.

CHAPTER XX. A SUDDEN DEPARTURE

So firmly had I persuaded myself, on my way homeward, that Duchesne
intended a duel with me, that I dreamed of it all night, and awoke in
the morning perfectly convinced that the event was prearranged between
us. Now, although the habits of the service I lived in had, in a great
measure, blunted the feelings I once entertained towards duelling, still
enough of detestation of the practice remained to make my anticipations
far from satisfactory; besides, I knew that Duchesne had in reality no
cause of quarrel with me, but from misapprehension alone could demand
a meeting, which our military code of honor always decided should be
accepted first, and inquired into afterwards. I regretted also, and
deeply too, that I should appear to his eyes in an unworthy p