wered.

"I thank you," said I. I then counted the company and found that I had
to do with fourteen officers, two of whom appeared to be boys fresh
from St. Cyr. I could not condescend to take any notice of their
indiscretion.

There remained the major, four captains, and seven lieutenants.

"Gentlemen," I continued, looking from one to the other of them, "I
should feel myself unworthy of this famous regiment if I did not ask you
for satisfaction for the rudeness with which you have greeted me, and
I should hold you to be unworthy of it if on any pretext you refused to
grant it."

"You will have no difficulty upon that score," said the major. "I am
prepared to waive my rank and to give you every satisfaction in the name
of the Hussars of Conflans."

"I thank you," I answered. "I feel, however, that I have some claim upon
these other gentlemen who laughed at my expense."

"Whom would you fight, then?" asked Captain Pelletan.

"All of you," I answered.

They looked in surprise from one to the other. Then they drew off to the
other end of the room, and I heard the buzz of their whispers. They were
laughing. Evidently they still thought that they had to do with some
empty braggart. Then they returned.

"Your request is unusual," said Major Olivier, "but it will be granted.
How do you propose to conduct such a duel? The terms lie with you."

"Sabres," said I. "And I will take you in order of seniority, beginning
with you, Major Olivier, at five o'clock. I will thus be able to devote
five minutes to each before the assembly is blown. I must, however, beg
you to have the courtesy to name the place of meeting, since I am still
ignorant of the locality."

They were impressed by my cold and practical manner.

Already the smile had died away from their lips.

Olivier's face was no longer mocking, but it was dark and stern.

"There is a small open space behind the horse lines," said he. "We have
held a few affairs of honour there and it has done very well. We shall
be there, Captain Gerard, at the hour you name."

I was in the act of bowing to thank them for their acceptance when the
door of the mess-room was flung open and the colonel hurried into the
room, with an agitated face.

"Gentlemen," said he, "I have been asked to call for a volunteer from
among you for a service which involves the greatest possible danger.
I will not disguise from you that the matter is serious in the last
degree, and that Marshal Lan