"
"He deserved it, monsieur," said she, with a note almost of
fierceness in her voice. And of such poor mettle are we that her
resentment against that groaning mass of fopperies and wheals sent a
thrill of pleasure through me. I walked over to the spot where his
sword had fallen, and picked it up.
"Monsieur de Saint-Eustache," said I, "you have so dishonoured this
blade that I do not think you would care to wear it again." Saying
which, I snapped it across my knee, and flung it far out into the
river, for all that the hilt was a costly one, richly wrought in
bronze and gold.
He raised his livid countenance, and his eyes blazed impotent fury.
"Par la mort Dieu!" he cried hoarsely, "you shall give me
satisfaction for this!"
"If you account yourself still unsatisfied, I am at your service when
you will," said I courteously.
Then, before more could be said, I saw Monsieur de Lavedan and the
Vicomtesse approaching hurriedly across the parterre. The Vicomte's
brow was black with what might have appeared anger, but which I
rightly construed into apprehension.
"What has taken place? What have you done?" he asked of me.
"He has brutally assaulted the Chevalier," cried Madame shrilly, her
eyes malevolently set upon me. "He is only a child, this poor
Saint-Eustache," she reproached me. "I saw it all from my window,
Monsieur de Lesperon. It was brutal; it was cowardly. So to beat
a boy! Shame! If you had a quarrel with him, are there not
prescribed methods for their adjustment between gentlemen? Pardieu,
could you not have given him proper satisfaction?"
"If madame will give herself the trouble of attentively examining
this poor Saint-Eustache," said I, with a sarcasm which her virulence
prompted, "you will agree, I think, that I have given him very
proper and very thorough satisfaction.
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