tacheditscolumnsoftrunksanditsdarkgreencanopyveryclearlyagainsttherocksofthegreyhillside。Hekepthiseyesfixedonitsteadily，andsuckedatanorangeashewalked。Thattemperamentalgood-
humouredcoolnessinthefaceofdangerwhichhadmadehimanofficerlikedbyhismenandappreciatedbyhissuperiorswasgraduallyassertingitself。Itwaslikegoingintobattle。Arrivingattheedgeofthewoodhesatdownonaboulder，holdingtheotherorangeinhishand，andreproachedhimselfforcomingsoridiculouslyearlyontheground。Beforeverylong，however，heheardtheswishingofbushes，footstepsonthehardground，andthesoundsofadisjointed，loudconversation。Avoicesomewherebehindhimsaidboastfully，"He'sgameformybag。"
Hethoughttohimself，"Heretheyare。What'sthisaboutgame?Aretheytalkingofme?"Andbecom-
ingawareoftheotherorangeinhishand，hethoughtfurther，"Theseareverygoodoranges。Leonie'sowntree。Imayjustaswelleatthisorangenowinsteadofflingingitaway。"
Emergingfromawildernessofrocksandbushes，GeneralFeraudandhissecondsdiscoveredGeneralD'Hubertengagedinpeelingtheorange。Theystoodstill，waitingtillhelookedup。Thenthesecondsraisedtheirhats，whileGeneralFeraud，puttinghishandsbehindhisback，walkedasidealittleway。
"Iamcompelledtoaskoneofyou，messieurs，toactforme。Ihavebroughtnofriends。Willyou?"
Theone-eyedcuirassiersaidjudicially，"Thatcannotberefused。"
Theotherveteranremarked，"It'sawkwardallthesame。"
"Owingtothestateofthepeople'smindsinthispartofthecountrytherewasnooneIcouldtrustsafelywiththeobjectofyourpresencehere，"explainedGeneralD'Hubert，urbanely。
Theysaluted，lookedround，andremarkedbothtogether:
"Poorground。"
"It'sunfit。"
"Whybotheraboutground，measurements，andsoon?Letussimplifymatters。Loadthetwopairsofpistols。IwilltakethoseofGeneralFeraud，andlethimtakemine。Or，betterstill，letustakeamixedpair。Oneofeachpair。Thenletusgointothewoodandshootatsight，whileyouremainoutside。Wedidnotcomehereforceremonies，butforwar——wartothedeath。Anygroundisgoodenoughforthat。IfIfall，youmustleavemewhereIlieandclearout。Itwouldn'tbehealthyforyoutobefoundhangingabouthereafterthat。"
ItappearedafterashortparleythatGeneralFeraudwaswillingtoaccepttheseconditions。Whilethesecondswereloadingthepistols，hecouldbeheardwhistling，andwasseentorubhishandswithperfectcontentment。Heflungoffhiscoatbriskly，andGeneralD'Huberttookoffhisownandfoldeditcare-
fullyonastone。
"Supposeyoutakeyourprincipaltotheothersideofthewoodandlethimenterexactlyintenminutesfromnow，"suggestedGeneralD'Hubert，calmly，butfeelingasifheweregivingdirectionsforhisownexecu-
tion。This，however，washislastmomentofweakness。
"Wait。Letuscomparewatchesfirst。"
Hepulledouthisown。TheofficerwiththechippednosewentovertoborrowthewatchofGeneralFeraud。
Theybenttheirheadsoverthemforatime。
"That'sit。Atfourminutestosixbyyours。Seventobymine。"
ItwasthecuirassierwhoremainedbythesideofGeneralD'Hubert，keepinghisoneeyefixedimmovablyonthewhitefaceofthewatchheheldinthepalmofhishand。Heopenedhismouth，waitingforthebeatofthelastsecondlongbeforehesnappedouttheword，"Avancez。"
GeneralD'Hubertmovedon，passingfromtheglaringsunshineoftheProvencalmorningintothecoolandaromaticshadeofthepines。Thegroundwasclearbetweenthereddishtrunks，whosemultitude，leaningatslightlydifferentangles，confusedhiseyeatfirst。Itwaslikegoingintobattle。Thecommandingqualityofconfidenceinhimselfwokeupinhisbreast。Hewasalltohisaffair。Theproblemwashowtokilltheadversary。Nothingshortofthatwouldfreehimfromthisimbecilenightmare。"It'snousewoundingthatbrute，"thoughtGeneralD'Hubert。Hewasknownasaresourcefulofficer。HiscomradesyearsagousedalsotocallhimTheStrategist。Anditwasafactthathecouldthinkinthepresenceoftheenemy。
WhereasFeraudhadbeenalwaysamerefighter——butadeadshot，unluckily。
"Imustdrawhisfireatthegreatestpossiblerange，"
saidGeneralD'Huberttohimself。
Atthatmomenthesawsomethingwhitemovingfaroffbetweenthetrees——theshirtofhisadversary。Hesteppedoutatoncebetweenthetrunks，exposinghim-
selffreely；then，quickaslightning，leapedback。Ithadbeenariskymovebutitsucceededinitsobject。
Almostsimultaneouslywiththepopofashotasmallpieceofbarkchippedoffbythebulletstunghisearpainfully。
GeneralFeraud，withoneshotexpended，wasgettingcautious。Peepingroundthetree，GeneralD'Hubertcouldnotseehimatall。Thisignoranceofthefoe'swhereaboutscarriedwithitasenseofinsecurity。
GeneralD'Hubertfelthimselfabominablyexposedonhisflankandrear。Againsomethingwhiteflutteredinhissight。Ha!Theenemywasstillonhisfront，then。Hehadfearedaturningmovement。ButapparentlyGeneralFeraudwasnotthinkingofit。
GeneralD'Hubertsawhimpasswithoutspecialhastefromonetreetoanotherinthestraightlineofapproach。
WithgreatfirmnessofmindGeneralD'Hubertstayedhishand。Toofaryet。Heknewhewasnomarksman。
Hismustbeawaitinggame——tokill。
Wishingtotakeadvantageofthegreaterthicknessofthetrunk，hesankdowntotheground。Extendedatfulllength，headontohisenemy，hehadhispersoncompletelyprotected。Exposinghimselfwouldnotdonow，becausetheotherwastoonearbythistime。
AconvictionthatFeraudwouldpresentlydosomethingrashwaslikebalmtoGeneralD'Hubert'ssoul。Buttokeephischinraisedoffthegroundwasirksome，andnotmuchuseeither。Hepeepedround，exposingafractionofhisheadwithdread，butreallywithlittlerisk。Hisenemy，asamatteroffact，didnotexpecttoseeanythingofhimsofardownasthat。
GeneralD'HubertcaughtafleetingviewofGeneralFeraudshiftingtreesagainwithdeliberatecau-
tion。"Hedespisesmyshooting，"hethought，dis-
playingthatinsightintothemindofhisantagonistwhichisofsuchgreathelpinwinningbattles。Hewasconfirmedinhistacticsofimmobility。"IfIcouldonlywatchmyrearaswellasmyfront!"hethoughtanx-
iously，longingfortheimpossible。
Itrequiredsomeforceofcharactertolayhispistolsdown；but，onasuddenimpulse，GeneralD'Hubertdidthisverygently——oneoneachsideofhim。Inthearmyhehadbeenlookeduponasabitofadandybecauseheusedtoshaveandputonacleanshirtonthedaysofbattle。Asamatteroffact，hehadalwaysbeenverycarefulofhispersonalappearance。Inamanofnearlyforty，inlovewithayoungandcharminggirl，thispraiseworthyself-respectmayruntosuchlittleweak-
nessesas，forinstance，beingprovidedwithanelegantlittleleatherfolding-casecontainingasmallivorycomb，andfittedwithapieceoflooking-glassontheoutside。GeneralD'Hubert，hishandsbeingfree，feltinhisbreeches'pocketsforthatimplementofinnocentvanityexcusableinthepossessoroflong，silkymoustaches。Hedrewitout，andthenwiththeut-
mostcoolnessandpromptitudeturnedhimselfoveronhisback。Inthisnewattitude，hisheadalittleraised，holdingthelittlelooking-glassjustclearofhistree，hesquintedintoitwithhislefteye，whiletherightkeptadirectwatchontherearofhisposition。ThuswasprovedNapoleon'ssaying，that"foraFrenchsoldier，thewordimpossibledoesnotexist。"Hehadtherighttreenearlyfillingthefieldofhislittlemirror。
"Ifhemovesfrombehindit，"hereflectedwithsatisfaction，"Iamboundtoseehislegs。Butinanycasehecan'tcomeuponmeunawares。"
AndsureenoughhesawthebootsofGeneralFeraudflashinandout，eclipsingforaninstanteverythingelsereflectedinthelittlemirror。Heshifteditspositionaccordingly。ButhavingtoformhisjudgmentofthechangefromthatindirectviewhedidnotrealizethatnowhisfeetandaportionofhislegswereinplainsightofGeneralFeraud。
GeneralFeraudhadbeengettinggraduallyimpressedbytheamazingclevernesswithwhichhisenemywaskeepingcover。Hehadspottedtherighttreewithbloodthirstyprecision。Hewasabsolutelycertainofit。
Andyethehadnotbeenabletoglimpseasmuchasthetipofanear。Ashehadbeenlookingforitattheheightofaboutfivefeetteninchesfromthegrounditwasnogreatwonder——butitseemedverywonderfultoGeneralFeraud。
Thefirstviewofthesefeetandlegsdeterminedarushofbloodtohishead。Heliterallystaggeredbehindhistree，andhadtosteadyhimselfagainstitwithhishand。Theotherwaslyingontheground，then!Ontheground!Perfectlystill，too!Exposed!Whatcoulditmean?……ThenotionthathehadknockedoverhisadversaryatthefirstshotenteredthenGeneralFeraud'shead。Oncethereitgrewwitheverysecondofattentivegazing，overshadowingeveryothersupposition——irresistible，triumphant，ferocious。
"WhatanassIwastothinkIcouldhavemissedhim，"hemutteredtohimself。"Hewasexposedenplein——thefool!——forquiteacoupleofseconds。"
GeneralFeraudgazedatthemotionlesslimbs，thelastvestigesofsurprisefadingbeforeanunboundedadmirationofhisowndeadlyskillwiththepistol。
"Turneduphistoes!Bythegodofwar，thatwasashot!"heexultedmentally。"Gotitthroughthehead，nodoubt，justwhereIaimed，staggeredbehindthattree，rolledoveronhisback，anddied。"
Andhestared!Hestared，forgettingtomove，almostawed，almostsorry。Butfornothingintheworldwouldhehavehaditundone。Suchashot!——
suchashot!Rolledoveronhisbackanddied!
Foritwasthishelplessposition，lyingontheback，thatshouteditsdirectevidenceatGeneralFeraud!
Itneveroccurredtohimthatitmighthavebeendeliberatelyassumedbyalivingman。Itwasin-
conceivable。Itwasbeyondtherangeofsanesup-
position。Therewasnopossibilitytoguessthereasonforit。Anditmustbesaid，too，thatGeneralD'Hu-
bert'sturned-upfeetlookedthoroughlydead。GeneralFeraudexpandedhislungsforastentorianshouttohisseconds，but，fromwhathefelttobeanexcessivescrupulousness，refrainedforawhile。
"Iwilljustgoandseefirstwhetherhebreathesyet，"hemumbledtohimself，leavingcarelesslytheshelterofhistree。Thismovewasimmediatelyper-
ceivedbytheresourcefulGeneralD'Hubert。Heconcludedittobeanothershift，butwhenhelostthebootsoutofthefieldofthemirrorhebecameuneasy。
GeneralFeraudhadonlysteppedalittleoutoftheline，buthisadversarycouldnotpossiblyhavesupposedhimwalkingupwithperfectunconcern。GeneralD'Hubert，beginningtowonderatwhathadbecomeoftheother，wastakenunawaressocompletelythatthefirstwarningofdangerconsistedinthelong，early-morningshadowofhisenemyfallingaslantonhisoutstretchedlegs。
Hehadnotevenheardafootfallonthesoftgroundbetweenthetrees!
Itwastoomuchevenforhiscoolness。Hejumpedupthoughtlessly，leavingthepistolsontheground。Theirresistibleinstinctofanaveragemanunlesstotallyparalyzedbydiscomfiturewouldhavebeentostoopforhisweapons，exposinghimselftotheriskofbeingshotdowninthatposition。Instinct，ofcourse，isirre-
flective。Itisitsverydefinition。Butitmaybeaninquiryworthpursuingwhetherinreflectivemankindthemechanicalpromptingsofinstinctarenotaffectedbythecustomarymodeofthought。Inhisyoungdays，ArmandD'Hubert，thereflective，promisingofficer，hademittedtheopinionthatinwarfareoneshould"nevercastbackonthelinesofamistake。"Thisidea，de-
fendedanddevelopedinmanydiscussions，hadsettledintooneofthestocknotionsofhisbrain，hadbecomeapartofhismentalindividuality。Whetherithadgonesoinconceivablydeepastoaffectthedictatesofhisinstinct，orsimplybecause，ashehimselfdeclaredafter-
wards，hewas"tooscaredtoremembertheconfoundedpistols，"thefactisthatGeneralD'Hubertneverat-
temptedtostoopforthem。Insteadofgoingbackonhismistake，heseizedtheroughtrunkwithbothhands，andswunghimselfbehinditwithsuchimpetuositythat，goingrightroundintheveryflashandreportofthepistol-shot，hereappearedontheothersideofthetreefacetofacewithGeneralFeraud。Thislast，com-
pletelyunstrungbysuchashowofagilityonthepartofadeadman，wastremblingyet。Averyfaintmistofsmokehungbeforehisfacewhichhadanextraordinaryaspect，asifthelowerjawhadcomeunhinged。
"Notmissed!"hecroaked，hoarsely，fromthedepthsofadrythroat。
ThissinistersoundloosenedthespellthathadfallenonGeneralD'Hubert'ssenses。"Yes，missed——aboutportant，"heheardhimselfsaying，almostbeforehehadrecoveredthefullcommandofhisfaculties。There-
vulsionoffeelingwasaccompaniedbyagustofhomi-
cidalfury，resuminginitsviolencetheaccumulatedresentmentofalifetime。ForyearsGeneralD'Huberthadbeenexasperatedandhumiliatedbyanatrociousabsurdityimposeduponhimbythisman'ssavagecaprice。Besides，GeneralD'Huberthadbeeninthislastinstancetoounwillingtoconfrontdeathforthereactionofhisanguishnottotaketheshapeofadesiretokill。"AndIhavemytwoshotstofireyet，"headded，pitilessly。
GeneralFeraudsnapped-tohisteeth，andhisfaceassumedanirate，undauntedexpression。"Goon!"hesaid，grimly。
ThesewouldhavebeenhislastwordsifGeneralD'Huberthadbeenholdingthepistolsinhishands。
Butthepistolswerelyingonthegroundatthefootofapine。GeneralD'Huberthadthesecondofleisurenecessarytorememberthathehaddreadeddeathnotasaman，butasalover；notasadanger，butasarival；notasafoetolife，butasanobstacletomarriage。Andbehold!therewastherivaldefeated!——
utterlydefeated，crushed，donefor!
Hepickeduptheweaponsmechanically，and，insteadoffiringthemintoGeneralFeraud'sbreast，hegaveexpressiontothethoughtsuppermostinhismind，"Youwillfightnomoreduelsnow。"
Histoneofleisurely，ineffablesatisfactionwastoomuchforGeneralFeraud'sstoicism。"Don'tdawdle，then，damnyouforacold-bloodedstaff-coxcomb!"heroaredout，suddenly，outofanimpassivefacehelderectonarigidlystillbody。
GeneralD'Hubertuncockedthepistolscarefully。
Thisproceedingwasobservedwithmixedfeelingsbytheothergeneral。"Youmissedmetwice，"thevictorsaid，coolly，shiftingbothpistolstoonehand；"thelasttimewithinafootorso。Byeveryruleofsinglecom-
batyourlifebelongstome。ThatdoesnotmeanthatI
wanttotakeitnow。"
"Ihavenouseforyourforbearance，"mutteredGeneralFeraud，gloomily。
"Allowmetopointoutthatthisisnoconcernofmine，"saidGeneralD'Hubert，whoseeverywordwasdictatedbyaconsummatedelicacyoffeeling。Inangerhecouldhavekilledthatman，butincoldbloodherecoiledfromhumiliatingbyashowofgenerositythisunreasonablebeing——afellow-soldieroftheGrandeArmee，acompanioninthewondersandterrorsofthegreatmilitaryepic。"Youdon'tsetupthepretensionofdictatingtomewhatIamtodowithwhat'smyown。"
GeneralFeraudlookedstartled，andtheothercon-
tinued，"You'veforcedmeonapointofhonourtokeepmylifeatyourdisposal，asitwere，forfifteenyears。
Verywell。Nowthatthematterisdecidedtomyad-
vantage，IamgoingtodowhatIlikewithyourlifeonthesameprinciple。Youshallkeepitatmydis-
posalaslongasIchoose。Neithermorenorless。YouareonyourhonourtillIsaytheword。"
"Iam!But，sacrebleu!ThisisanabsurdpositionforaGeneraloftheEmpiretobeplacedin!"criedGeneralFeraud，inaccentsofprofoundanddismayedconviction。"Itamountstosittingalltherestofmylifewithaloadedpistolinadrawerwaitingforyourword。It's——it'sidiotic；Ishallbeanobjectof——of——
derision。"
"Absurd?——idiotic?Doyouthinkso?"queriedGeneralD'Hubertwithslygravity。"Perhaps。ButI
don'tseehowthatcanbehelped。However，Iamnotlikelytotalkatlargeofthisadventure。Nobodyneedeverknowanythingaboutit。Justasnoonetothisday，Ibelieve，knowstheoriginofourquarrel……
Notawordmore，"headded，hastily。"Ican'treallydiscussthisquestionwithamanwho，asfarasIamconcerned，doesnotexist。"
Whenthetwoduellistscameoutintotheopen，Gen-
eralFeraudwalkingalittlebehind，andratherwiththeairofwalkinginatrance，thetwosecondshurriedtowardsthem，eachfromhisstationattheedgeofthewood。GeneralD'Hubertaddressedthem，speakingloudanddistinctly，"Messieurs，Imakeitapointofdeclaringtoyousolemnly，inthepresenceofGeneralFeraud，thatourdifferenceisatlastsettledforgood。
Youmayinformalltheworldofthatfact。"
"Areconciliation，afterall!"theyexclaimedto-
gether。
"Reconciliation?Notthatexactly。Itissome-
thingmuchmorebinding。Isitnotso，General?"
GeneralFeraudonlyloweredhisheadinsignofassent。Thetwoveteranslookedateachother。Laterintheday，whentheyfoundthemselvesaloneoutoftheirmoodyfriend'searshot，thecuirassierremarkedsuddenly，"Generallyspeaking，Icanseewithmyoneeyeasfarasmostpeople；butthisbeatsme。Hewon'tsayanything。"
"InthisaffairofhonourIunderstandtherehasbeenfromfirsttolastalwayssomethingthatnooneinthearmycouldquitemakeout，"declaredthechasseurwiththeimperfectnose。"Inmysteryitbegan，inmysteryitwenton，inmysteryitistoend，apparently。"
GeneralD'Hubertwalkedhomewithlong，hastystrides，bynomeansupliftedbyasenseoftriumph。
Hehadconquered，yetitdidnotseemtohimthathehadgainedverymuchbyhisconquest。Thenightbeforehehadgrudgedtheriskofhislifewhichappearedtohimmagnificent，worthyofpreservationasanopportunitytowinagirl'slove。Hehadknownmomentswhen，byamarvellousillusion，thisloveseemedtobealreadyhis，andhisthreatenedlifeastillmoremagnificentopportunityofdevotion。Nowthathislifewassafeithadsuddenlylostitsspecialmag-
nificence。Ithadacquiredinsteadaspeciallyalarmingaspectasasnarefortheexposureofunworthiness。Astothemarvellousillusionofconqueredlovethathadvisitedhimforamomentintheagitatedwatchesofthenight，whichmighthavebeenhislastonearth，hecom-
prehendednowitstruenature。Ithadbeenmerelyaparoxysmofdeliriousconceit。Thustothisman，soberedbythevictoriousissueofaduel，lifeappearedrobbedofitscharm，simplybecauseitwasnolongermenaced。
Approachingthehousefromtheback，throughtheorchardandthekitchengarden，hecouldnotnoticetheagitationwhichreignedinfront。Henevermetasinglesoul。Onlywhilewalkingsoftlyalongthecorridor，hebecameawarethatthehousewasawakeandmorenoisythanusual。Namesofservantswerebeingcalledoutdownbelowinaconfusednoiseofcomingandgoing。
Withsomeconcernhenoticedthatthedoorofhisownroomstoodajar，thoughtheshuttershadnotbeenopenedyet。Hehadhopedthathisearlyexcursionwouldhavepassedunperceived。Heexpectedtofindsomeservantjustgonein；butthesunshinefilteringthroughtheusualcracksenabledhimtoseelyingonthelowdivansomethingbulky，whichhadtheappear-
anceoftwowomenclaspedineachother'sarms。Tear-
fulanddesolatemurmursissuedmysteriouslyfromthatappearance。GeneralD'Hubertpulledopenthenear-
estpairofshuttersviolently。Oneofthewomenthenjumpedup。Itwashissister。Shestoodforamomentwithherhairhangingdownandherarmsraisedstraightupaboveherhead，andthenflungherselfwithastifledcryintohisarms。Hereturnedherembrace，tryingatthesametimetodisengagehimselffromit。Theotherwomanhadnotrisen。Sheseemed，onthecontrary，toclingclosertothedivan，hidingherfaceinthecushions。
Herhairwasalsoloose；itwasadmirablyfair。Gen-
eralD'Hubertrecognizeditwithstaggeringemotion。
MademoiselledeValmassigue!Adele!Indistress!
Hebecamegreatlyalarmed，andgotridofhissis-
ter'shugdefinitely。MadameLeoniethenextendedhershapelybarearmoutofherpeignoir，pointingdramaticallyatthedivan。"Thispoor，terrifiedchildhasrushedherefromhome，onfoot，twomiles——runningalltheway。"
"Whatonearthhashappened?"askedGeneralD'Hubertinalow，agitatedvoice。
ButMadameLeoniewasspeakingloudly。"Sherangthegreatbellatthegateandrousedallthehouse-
hold——wewereallasleepyet。Youmayimaginewhataterribleshock……Adele，mydearchild，situp。"
GeneralD'Hubert'sexpressionwasnotthatofamanwho"imagines"withfacility。Hedid，however，fishoutofthechaosofsurmisesthenotionthathisprospectivemother-in-lawhaddiedsuddenly，butonlytodismissitatonce。HecouldnotconceivethenatureoftheeventorthecatastrophewhichwouldinduceMademoiselledeValmassigue，livinginahousefullofservants，tobringthenewsoverthefieldsherself，twomiles，runningalltheway。
"Butwhyareyouinthisroom?"hewhispered，fullofawe。
"Ofcourse，Iranuptosee，andthischild……I
didnotnoticeit……shefollowedme。It'sthatabsurdChevalier，"wentonMadameLeonie，lookingtowardsthedivan……"Herhairisallcomedown。
Youmayimagineshedidnotstoptocallhermaidtodressitbeforeshestarted……Adele，mydear，situp……Heblurteditallouttoherathalf-pastfiveinthemorning。Shewokeupearlyandopenedhershutterstobreathethefreshair，andsawhimsittingcol-
lapsedonagardenbenchattheendofthegreatalley。
Atthathour——youmayimagine!Andtheeveningbeforehehaddeclaredhimselfindisposed。Shehurriedonsomeclothesandflewdowntohim。Onewouldbeanxiousforless。Helovesher，butnotveryintelli-
gently。Hehadbeenupallnight，fullydressed，thepooroldman，perfectlyexhausted。Hewasn'tinastatetoinventaplausiblestory……Whatacon-
fidantyouchosethere!Myhusbandwasfurious。Hesaid，'Wecan'tinterferenow。'Sowesatdowntowait。
Itwasawful。Andthispoorchildrunningwithherhairlooseoverherepublicly!Shehasbeenseenbysomepeopleinthefields。Shehasrousedthewholehousehold，too。It'sawkwardforher。Luckilyyouaretobemarriednextweek……Adele，situp。Hehascomehomeonhisownlegs……Weexpectedtoseeyoucomingonastretcher，perhaps——whatdoIknow?Goandseeifthecarriageisready。Imusttakethischildhomeatonce。Itisn'tproperforhertostayhereaminutelonger。"
GeneralD'Hubertdidnotmove。Itwasasthoughhehadheardnothing。MadameLeoniechangedhermind。"Iwillgoandseemyself，"shecried。"Iwantalsomycloak——Adele——"shebegan，butdidnotadd"situp。"Shewentoutsaying，inaveryloudandcheerfultone:"Ileavethedooropen。"
GeneralD'Hubertmadeamovementtowardsthedivan，butthenAdelesatup，andthatcheckedhimdead。Hethought，"Ihaven'twashedthismorning。I
mustlooklikeanoldtramp。There'searthonthebackofmycoatandpine-needlesinmyhair。"Itoccurredtohimthatthesituationrequiredagooddealofcircum-
spectiononhispart。
"Iamgreatlyconcerned，mademoiselle，"hebegan，vaguely，andabandonedthatline。Shewassittinguponthedivanwithhercheeksunusuallypinkandherhair，brilliantlyfair，fallingalloverhershoulders——
whichwasaverynovelsighttothegeneral。Hewalkedawayuptheroom，andlookingoutofthewindowforsafetysaid，"IfearyoumustthinkIbehavedlikeamadman，"inaccentsofsinceredespair。Thenhespunround，andnoticedthatshehadfollowedhimwithhereyes。Theywerenotcastdownonmeetinghisglance。Andtheexpressionofherfacewasnoveltohimalso。Itwas，onemighthavesaid，reversed。
Thoseeyeslookedathimwithgravethoughtful-
ness，whiletheexquisitelinesofhermouthseemedtosuggestarestrainedsmile。Thischangemadehertranscendentalbeautymuchlessmysterious，muchmoreaccessibletoaman'scomprehension。Anamazingeaseofmindcametothegeneral——andevensomeeaseofmanner。Hewalkeddowntheroomwithasmuchpleasurableexcitementashewouldhavefoundinwalk-
inguptoabatteryvomitingdeath，fire，andsmoke；
thenstoodlookingdownwithsmilingeyesatthegirlwhosemarriagewithhimnextweekhadbeensocarefullyarrangedbythewise，thegood，theadmirableLeonie。
"Ah!mademoiselle，"hesaid，inatoneofcourtlyregret，"ifonlyIcouldbecertainthatyoudidnotcomeherethismorning，twomiles，runningalltheway，merelyfromaffectionforyourmother!"
Hewaitedforananswerimperturbablebutinwardlyelated。Itcameinademuremurmur，eyelasheslow-
eredwithfascinatingeffect。"Youmustnotbeme-
chantaswellasmad。"
AndthenGeneralD'Hubertmadeanaggressivemovementtowardsthedivanwhichnothingcouldcheck。Thatpieceoffurniturewasnotexactlyinthelineoftheopendoor。ButMadameLeonie，comingbackwrappedupinalightcloakandcarryingalaceshawlonherarmforAdeletohideherincriminatinghairunder，hadaswiftimpressionofherbrothergettingupfromhisknees。
"Comealong，mydearchild，"shecriedfromthedoorway。
Thegeneral，nowhimselfagaininthefullestsense，showedthereadinessofaresourcefulcavalryofficerandtheperemptorinessofaleaderofmen。"Youdon'texpecthertowalktothecarriage，"hesaid，indignantly。
"Sheisn'tfit。Ishallcarryherdownstairs。"
Thishedidslowly，followedbyhisawedandre-
spectfulsister；butherushedbacklikeawhirlwindtowashoffallthesignsofthenightofanguishandthemorningofwar，andtoputonthefestivegarmentsofaconquerorbeforehurryingovertotheotherhouse。
Haditnotbeenforthat，GeneralD'Hubertfeltcapableofmountingahorseandpursuinghislateadversaryinordersimplytoembracehimfromexcessofhappiness。
"Ioweitalltothisstupidbrute，"hethought。"Hehasmadeplaininamorningwhatmighthavetakenmeyearstofindout——forIamatimidfool。Noself-confi-
dencewhatever。Perfectcoward。AndtheChevalier!
Delightfuloldman!"GeneralD'Hubertlongedtoembracehimalso。
TheChevalierwasinbed。Forseveraldayshewasveryunwell。ThemenoftheEmpireandthepost-revolutionyoungladiesweretoomuchforhim。
Hegotupthedaybeforethewedding，and，beingcuri-
ousbynature，tookhisnieceasideforaquiettalk。Headvisedhertofindoutfromherhusbandthetruestoryoftheaffairofhonour，whoseclaim，soimperativeandsopersistent，hadledhertowithinanaceoftragedy。
"Itisrightthathiswifeshouldbetold。Andnextmonthorsowillbeyourtimetolearnfromhimany-
thingyouwanttoknow，mydearchild。"
Lateron，whenthemarriedcouplecameonavisittothemotherofthebride，MadamelaGeneraleD'Hubertcommunicatedtoherbelovedoldunclethetruestoryshehadobtainedwithoutanydifficultyfromherhus-
band。
TheChevalierlistenedwithdeepattentiontotheend，tookapinchofsnuff，flickedthegrainsoftobaccofromthefrilledfrontofhisshirt，andasked，calmly，"Andthat'sallitwas?"
"Yes，uncle，"repliedMadamelaGenerale，openingherprettyeyesverywide。"Isn'titfunny?C'estinsense——tothinkwhatmenarecapableof!"
"H'm!"commentedtheoldemigre。"Itdependswhatsortofmen。ThatBonaparte'ssoldiersweresavages。Itisinsense。Asawife，mydear，youmustbelieveimplicitlywhatyourhusbandsays。"
ButtoLeonie'shusbandtheChevalierconfidedhistrueopinion。"Ifthat'sthetalethefellowmadeupforhiswife，andduringthehoneymoon，too，youmaydependonitthatnoonewilleverknownowthesecretofthisaffair。"
Considerablylaterstill，GeneralD'Hubertjudgedthetimecome，andtheopportunitypropitioustowritealettertoGeneralFeraud。Thisletterbeganbydis-
claimingallanimosity。"I'venever，"wrotetheGeneralBaronD'Hubert，"wishedforyourdeathdur-
ingallthetimeofourdeplorablequarrel。Allowme，"
hecontinued，"togiveyoubackinallformyourfor-
feitedlife。Itisproperthatwetwo，whohavebeenpartnersinsomuchmilitaryglory，shouldbefriendlytoeachotherpublicly。"
Thesamelettercontainedalsoanitemofdomesticinformation。ItwasinreferencetothislastthatGeneralFeraudansweredfromalittlevillageonthebanksoftheGaronne，inthefollowingwords:
"Ifoneofyourboy'snameshadbeenNapoleon——orJoseph——orevenJoachim，Icouldcongratulateyouontheeventwithabetterheart。AsyouhavethoughtpropertogivehimthenamesofCharlesHenriArmand，IamconfirmedinmyconvictionthatyouneverlovedtheEmperor。ThethoughtofthatsublimeherochainedtoarockinthemiddleofasavageoceanmakeslifeofsolittlevaluethatIwouldreceivewithpositivejoyyourinstructionstoblowmybrainsout。FromsuicideIconsidermyselfinhonourdebarred。ButI
keepaloadedpistolinmydrawer。"
MadamelaGeneraleD'Hubertliftedupherhandsindespairafterperusingthatanswer。
"Yousee?Hewon'tbereconciled，"saidherhus-
band。"Hemustnever，byanychance，beallowedtoguesswherethemoneycomesfrom。Itwouldn'tdo。
Hecouldn'tbearit。"
"Youareabravehomme，Armand，"saidMadamelaGenerale，appreciatively。
"Mydear，Ihadtherighttoblowhisbrainsout；
butasIdidn't，wecan'tlethimstarve。Hehaslosthispensionandheisutterlyincapableofdoingany-
thingintheworldforhimself。Wemusttakecareofhim，secretly，totheendofhisdays。Don'tIowehimthemostecstaticmomentofmylife?……Ha!ha!
ha!Overthefields，twomiles，runningalltheway!
Icouldn'tbelievemyears!……Butforhisstupidferocity，itwouldhavetakenmeyearstofindyouout。
It'sextraordinaryhowinonewayoranotherthismanhasmanagedtofastenhimselfonmydeeperfeelings。"
APATHETICTALE
ILCONDE
"VediNapoliepoimori。"
THEfirsttimewegotintoconversationwasintheNationalMuseuminNaples，intheroomsonthegroundfloorcontainingthefamouscollectionofbronzesfromHerculaneumandPompeii:thatmarvellouslegacyofantiqueartwhosedelicateperfectionhasbeenpre-
servedforusbythecatastrophicfuryofavolcano。
Headdressedmefirst，overthecelebratedRestingHermeswhichwehadbeenlookingatsidebyside。Hesaidtherightthingsaboutthatwhollyadmirablepiece。
Nothingprofound。Histastewasnaturalratherthancultivated。Hehadobviouslyseenmanyfinethingsinhislifeandappreciatedthem:buthehadnojargonofadilettanteortheconnoisseur。Ahatefultribe。Hespokelikeafairlyintelligentmanoftheworld，aper-
fectlyunaffectedgentleman。
Wehadknowneachotherbysightforsomefewdayspast。Stayinginthesamehotel——good，butnotextravagantlyuptodate——Ihadnoticedhiminthevestibulegoinginandout。Ijudgedhewasanoldandvaluedclient。Thebowofthehotel-keeperwascordialinitsdeference，andheacknowledgeditwithfamiliarcourtesy。FortheservantshewasIlConde。
Therewassomesquabbleoveraman'sparasol——yellowsilkwithwhiteliningsortofthing——thewaitershaddis-
coveredabandonedoutsidethedining-roomdoor。Ourgold-laceddoor-keeperrecognizeditandIheardhimdirectingoneoftheliftboystorunafterIlCondewithit。PerhapshewastheonlyCountstayinginthehotel，orperhapshehadthedistinctionofbeingtheCountparexcellence，conferreduponhimbecauseofhistriedfidelitytothehouse。
HavingconversedattheMuseo——andbythebyhehadexpressedhisdislikeofthebustsandstatuesofRomanemperorsinthegalleryofmarbles:theirfacesweretoovigorous，toopronouncedforhim——havingconversedalreadyinthemorningIdidnotthinkIwasintrudingwhenintheevening，findingthedining-roomveryfull，Iproposedtosharehislittletable。Judgingbythequieturbanityofhisconsenthedidnotthinksoeither。Hissmilewasveryattractive。
Hedinedinaneveningwaistcoatanda"smoking"
hecalleditsowithablacktie。Allthisofverygoodcut，notnew——justasthesethingsshouldbe。Hewas，morningorevening，verycorrectinhisdress。Ihavenodoubtthathiswholeexistencehadbeencorrect，wellorderedandconventional，undisturbedbystartlingevents。Hiswhitehairbrushedupwardsoffaloftyforeheadgavehimtheairofanidealist，ofanimaginativeman。Hiswhitemoustache，heavybutcarefullytrimmedandarranged，wasnotunpleasantlytintedagoldenyellowinthemiddle。Thefaintscentofsomeverygoodperfume，andofgoodcigarsthatlastanodourquiteremarkabletocomeuponinItaly
reachedmeacrossthetable。Itwasinhiseyesthathisageshowedmost。Theywerealittlewearywithcreasedeyelids。Hemusthavebeensixtyoracoupleofyearsmore。Andhewascommunicative。Iwouldnotgosofarastocallitgarrulous——butdistinctlycommunicative。
Hehadtriedvariousclimates，ofAbbazia，oftheRiviera，ofotherplaces，too，hetoldme，buttheonlyonewhichsuitedhimwastheclimateoftheGulfofNaples。TheancientRomans，who，hepointedouttome，weremenexpertintheartofliving，knewverywellwhattheyweredoingwhentheybuilttheirvillasontheseshores，inBaiae，inVico，inCapri。Theycamedowntothisseasideinsearchofhealth，bringingwiththemtheirtrainsofmimesandflute-playerstoamusetheirleisure。HethoughtitextremelyprobablethattheRomansofthehigherclasseswerespeciallypredisposedtopainfulrheumaticaffections。
ThiswastheonlypersonalopinionIheardhimexpress。Itwasbasedonnospecialerudition。HeknewnomoreoftheRomansthananaverageinformedmanoftheworldisexpectedtoknow。Hearguedfrompersonalexperience。HehadsufferedhimselffromapainfulanddangerousrheumaticaffectiontillhefoundreliefinthisparticularspotofSouthernEurope。
Thiswasthreeyearsago，andeversincehehadtakenuphisquartersontheshoresofthegulf，eitherinoneofthehotelsinSorrentoorhiringasmallvillainCapri。Hehadapiano，afewbooks:pickeduptransientacquaintancesofaday，week，ormonthinthestreamoftravellersfromallEurope。Onecanimaginehimgoingoutforhiswalksinthestreetsandlanes，becomingknowntobeggars，shopkeepers，children，countrypeople；talkingamiablyoverthewallstothecontadini——andcomingbacktohisroomsorhisvillatositbeforethepiano，withhiswhitehairbrushedupandhisthickorderlymoustache，"tomakealittlemusicformyself。"
And，ofcourse，forachangetherewasNaplesnearby——life，movement，animation，opera。Alittleamuse-
ment，ashesaid，isnecessaryforhealth。Mimesandflute-players，infact。Onlyunlikethemagnatesofan-
cientRome，hehadnoaffairsofthecitytocallhimawayfromthesemoderatedelights。Hehadnoaffairsatall。Probablyhehadneverhadanygraveaffairstoattendtoinhislife。Itwasakindlyexistence，withitsjoysandsorrowsregulatedbythecourseofNature——
marriages，births，deaths——ruledbytheprescribedusagesofgoodsocietyandprotectedbytheState。
Hewasawidower；butinthemonthsofJulyandAugustheventuredtocrosstheAlpsforsixweeksonavisittohismarrieddaughter。Hetoldmehername。
Itwasthatofaveryaristocraticfamily。Shehadacastle——inBohemia，Ithink。ThisisasnearasIevercametoascertaininghisnationality。Hisownname，strangelyenough，henevermentioned。PerhapshethoughtIhadseenitonthepublishedlist。Truthtosay，Ineverlooked。Atanyrate，hewasagoodEu-
ropean——hespokefourlanguagestomycertainknowl-
edge——andamanoffortune。Notofgreatfortuneevidentlyandappropriately。Iimaginethattobeex-
tremelyrichwouldhaveappearedtohimimproper，outre——tooblatantaltogether。Andobviously，too，thefortunewasnotofhismaking。Themakingofafor-
tunecannotbeachievedwithoutsomeroughness。
Itisamatteroftemperament。Hisnaturewastookindlyforstrife。Inthecourseofconversationhementionedhisestatequitebytheway，inreferencetothatpainfulandalarmingrheumaticaffection。Oneyear，stayingincautiouslybeyondtheAlpsaslateasthemiddleofSeptember，hehadbeenlaidupforthreemonthsinthatlonelycountryhousewithnoonebuthisvaletandthecaretakingcoupletoattendtohim。
Because，asheexpressedit，he"keptnoestablishmentthere。"Hehadonlygoneforacoupleofdaystocon-