He joined calmly the General on the road, and they made a
few steps in silence, the General trying to master his agitation, and
get proper control of his voice.

"It is perfectly true; I forgot something. I forgot till half an hour
ago that I had an urgent affair of honour on my hands. It's incredible,
but it is so!"

All was still for a moment. Then in the profound evening silence of the
countryside the clear, aged voice of the Chevalier was heard trembling
slightly: "Monsieur! That's an indignity."

It was his first thought. The girl born during his exile, the posthumous
daughter of his poor brother murdered by a band of Jacobins, had grown
since his return very dear to his old heart, which had been starving on
mere memories of affection for so many years. "It is an inconceivable
thing, I say! A man settles such affairs before he thinks of asking for
a young girl's hand. Why! If you had forgotten for ten days longer, you
would have been married before your memory returned to you. In my time
men did not forget such things--nor yet what is due to the feelings
of an innocent young woman. If I did not respect them myself, I would
qualify your conduct in a way which you would not like."

General D'Hubert relieved himself frankly by a groan. "Don't let that
consideration prevent you. You run no risk of offending her mortally."

But the old man paid no attention to this lover's nonsense. It's
doubtful whether he even heard. "What is it?" he asked. "What's the
nature of . . . ?" "Call it a youthful folly, Monsieur le Chevalier. An
inconceivable, incredible result of . . ." He stopped short. "He will
never believe the story," he thought. "He will only think I am taking
him for a fool, and get offended." General D'Hubert spoke up again:
"Yes, originating in youthful folly, it has become . . ."

The Chevalier interrupted: "Well, then it must be arranged."

"Arranged?"

"Yes, no matter at what cost to your amour propre. You should have
remembered you were engaged. You forgot that, too, I suppose. And then
you go and forget your quarrel. It's the most hopeless exhibition of
levity I ever heard of."

"Good heavens, Monsieur! You don't imagine I have been picking up this
quarrel last time I was in Paris, or anything of the sort, do you?"

"Eh! What matters the precise date of your insane conduct," exclaimed
the Chevalier, testily. "The principal thing is to arrange it."

Noticing General D'Hubert getting restive and try